Skin Deep
by Twill
Summary: Chronus is up to his usual tricks, trying to break up the chosen seven and break the prophecy. Neil is targeted, playing on his ancestor's weaknesses just when he's feeling a little left out and unwanted by the others.
1. Narcissist

Okay, I'm starting up another fanfic. Class of the Titans just wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote something, so I picked Neil and threw him into a plot that I find interesting. It involves some yaoi, so if you don't like, don't read. But it might not be what you think.

Disclaimer: I don't own Class of the Titans. If I did, the mythology would be more accurate and the modern heroes wouldn't be as stereotyped (I mean geeky techno Odie and not terribly bright brawny Herry? They have much more potential). Neil would also be much more appreciated.

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**Narcissist**

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How he ended up in an art class Neil wasn't sure but he made it work for him. The teacher seemed miffed when he explained that he simply couldn't _do_ art. Paint and clay? Talk about disasters for his hair, skin and clothes should any go astray. And when it came to his personal grooming, Neil left nothing to chance. But since he had to do something for credit he volunteered to draw (after all, pencils were fairly clean and definitely not permanent) and model once they got to the messy stuff. It was an offer that couldn't be refused, considering just how anatomically correct Neil was. So as his class moved into sculpting, Neil doffed his usual clothes and prepared himself to show off his beauty. It really wasn't that hard.

Okay, so maybe sitting completely still for an hour was a little hard, but Neil took it as a challenge to his modeling career. Besides, one less variable left to chance meant the various sculptures taking shape around would be all the more accurate. He wasn't sure if he wanted to see the finished results. Not unless they were as perfect as he was.

That morning was no different. Poised on his stool in the middle of the room, lifted up above the art peons, Neil was set to inspire the tired minds of his class once more. The teacher, Ms. Erato, appeared at the door and clapped her hands for silence as she strode into the room. Behind her, a girl trailed nervously, flashing a shy grin to those around her.

"Attention class, we have a new student joining us today. I am pleased to introduce Pamela Ian who comes with a great reputation for sculpting. I think she may even be able to do our model justice," she said, smiling wryly.

Neil flashed his own winning smile. "I don't know, Ms. Erato. I'm one amazing person."

Pam, silent up until this point, raised her chin slightly. "I hope I can live up to you, sir," she said. "You're the best model I've ever seen."

Mrs. Erato laughed as Neil seemed to puff up with pride. "That's the right idea, child. Flattery will get you everywhere with Neil." She gestured to a spare corner where a lump of clay was waiting. "Take a seat over there and we'll get started. Neil? I hope you don't mind sitting still for another day."

"Of course not." He carefully positioned himself in a thoughtful pose; it was one that he thought would bring out his humble side. "All right everyone. Make me look good."

--

The modern day heroes of New Olympia were gathered after school for their daily training sessions with the gods of Old Olympus. Jay sat listening to the wisdom of Hera, Herry lifted weights with Hercules, Odie was talking inventions with Hephaestus, and Theresa, Archie and Atlanta were sparring together under the instruction of Ares. Neil was with his own mentor, Aphrodite, but instead of training or preparing strategy for their next conflict with Chronus, he lounged on a low sofa, telling her all about his modeling career.

"Sure, the other kids can't hope to accurately recreate the wonder than I am, but I'm helping them improve themselves. Naturally I'm a saint, you know?" He stretched languidly, taking a moment to pull out his monogrammed mirror and check his hair. "There was one girl, though. She actually seems to have some talent."

Aphrodite, brushing her own long blond hair, smiled. "That's my boy," she crooned sweetly. "You should ask, uh, whatever her name is, for her sculpture when she's done. I would love to have it in my bower."

"Pamela Ian, I think it was. Kind of shy, good with clay." Neil shrugged offhandedly.

The goddess of love and beauty stopped her combing. "Anyway, ask her about it. I need to go talk to Hermes." Aphrodite stood and walked gracefully off in search of the messenger god.

"Hey, Jay wants to run some scrimmages in five minutes." Neil, about to comment on the sudden departure of his mentor, was distracted by a sudden call to arms by Archie, who appeared in the doorway looking rather disheveled.

"Ew. Tell me you're going to change before you even think about interacting with me. You look horrible."

Archie rolled his eyes. "Yeah, thanks."

With a heavy, scandalized sigh, Neil got off of his couch and stretched. "I hope we don't have to run or anything. I'm kind of stiff," he said with a wince. "Being this fabulous does have its price every so often."

"Don't worry," Archie assured him, "I'm sure Jay doesn't expect you to do anything hard."

"There you two are," Jay called as they entered the practice hall. "Okay, Archie you and Atlanta are going to attack Herry and Theresa. Odie's going to record everything and I'm going to give you directions as we go." He gestured to the others already in position.

Neil waited for his own instructions, but when they didn't come put on his best frown and demanded, "What am I supposed to do?"

"Oh, Neil, uh, you can help Odie out with the recording." Jay clapped the blond on the shoulder and turned to start coordinating the two pairs. "Okay, Herry you're on offence. Atlanta, try and take him out."

Sulking, Neil went to the technician of the team to try an assist. "This feels like the incident with the giant ants all over again. I can do 'offence' and 'defense,' too," he whined to Odie, fingers air quoting away.

"It's a little different this time, Neil. First, we're not fighting giant ants. Secondly, I've got a job." Odie grinned smugly.

Neil was tempted to stick his tongue out but that would be far too unattractive. Instead, he settled for a sexy pout and pulled out his mirror. "No one knows how to appreciate my talents," he said to his beautiful image.

Odie glanced up from the recorder. "Being lucky is great and everything, but it's not really a talent."

The mirror closed with a sharp snap. "Fine. I can tell when I'm not wanted." Neil lifted his chin and stalked out of the room.

He expected to hear some sort of protest, some sort of apology meant to pacify him, but nothing came. At most he heard a frustrated sigh from Odie as he left the room. No one else seemed to notice.

Once out of sight, Neil's shoulders slumped. After all the talk of prophecy and being a team he had yet to play an integral part in the fight against Chronus. There was the fight against Medusa, but he had ended up captured and ransomed instead of standing tall as a proper hero. Up against descendants of Jason, Theseus and Achilles, what chance did Narcissus have?

"Someone as handsome as you shouldn't look this down," a voice called, interrupting Neil's bout of self pity. At the word handsome his head popped up, looking for the source of the voice. He had wandered into the school proper and the halls were empty. "Over here, good looking."

He stopped dead as he realized who was talking to him. Wearing a white and black shirt, blond hair perfectly styled, Neil was looking at a perfect copy of himself leaning against a bank of lockers. "You're me," he said, stunned.

"I bet the others don't appreciate you, do they?" the other Neil asked. "Who better understands you than yourself?"

"You're some twisted plot of Chronus' aren't you?"

The other Neil shrugged. "I don't know. All I know is you're upset and I can't have that." He pushed off from the lockers and slowly walked down the hall toward the teen hero. He reached a hand up to cup Neil's face. "I love you, Neil. Tell me what would make you happy."


	2. Mixed Feelings

Thanks to those of you who reviewed so quickly. You've inspired me to keep going sooner than later (and Neil continually brining me joy has helped, too). I admit, the first chapter was somewhat rushed in order to get things going, and I may at some point go back to fix it up. Hopefully this chapter is better written.

One thing I think I should mention: I'm still a bit unclear as to the arrangements between school proper, school with the gods, and their living arrangements so if you see an error, bear with me. Just let me know and I'll fix it up in a jiffy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Class of the Titans. If I did, Bellerophon and other lesser known heroes would make appearances, lending a hand in the defeat of Chronus.

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**Mixed Feelings**

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For a moment, Neil was unable to move, to speak, to even breathe. Then, as reality crashed down around him protesting that clones just weren't _right_, he slapped away the hand and took a few steps backward. "Okay," he said, "I'm either hallucinating or you're some kind of robot here to replace me." Shakily, some inner part of him thrown for a loop, Neil took up a defensive stance. "Just back off and no one gets hurt," he warned, hoping he sounded convincing.

His duplicate seemed unfazed. "How could I hope to replace someone as unique as you, Neil? I'm sure the others would catch on in seconds that I wasn't you." He shook his head, stepping close once again.

"Stay back," Neil managed weakly, putting a hand up to ward off any further advances. It came to rest on the duplicate's chest. He stared at it, and then up into his own face. "Who are you?"

"Hm, I need a name, don't I? Call me… Galen." He took Neil's wrist, gently pulling the arm down and wrapping his free arm around the blonde's waist. "Of course, if you have something else you'd rather call me, I'm open to suggestions," he whispered into Neil's ear, causing the hero to shiver slightly.

"I… no, Galen's fine, I guess." Pinned between the wall and Galen, Neil was having a hard time concentrating. Up close, he noticed that his clone wasn't quite the mirror image he seemed to be. Slightly longer hair, an inch or two extra in height, coupled with the charm and inherent beauty that was copied from Neil, the hero found himself feeling curiously warm.

Galen smiled. "I'm glad you approve," he said softly, leaning in and placing a gentle kiss on Neil's cheek.

For the second time, common sense rudely reasserted itself. Neil shoved Galen off of him and staggered a few paces forward, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. He still felt warm and now oddly tingly but he disregarded it. "I don't know what you want, but I'm having none of it." Neil turned and raced toward the janitor's closet.

--

"All right guys, great job. I think we can use this maneuver against Chronus with great success," Jay said, tossing a couple of towels to Archie and Atlanta. "Odie, did you get everything?" He looked over to Odysseus' descendant and blinked. "Where's Neil?"

Odie shrugged, tossing a disc over to Jay. "He left just after you guys got started saying something about his talents not being appreciated." He smiled slightly. "You know Neil, always making a big deal out of the little things."

Jay frowned and sighed, "He's lucky and this wasn't a matter of luck. Sometimes you just have to know when to step back and let other people take the spotlight."

"Yeah but when has Neil ever willingly shared a spotlight?" Herry joked. The group shared a laugh, picturing the model on the runway shoving people offstage so that he could be the center of attention.

"Guys!" the panicked shout of Neil cut their laughter short. Skidding into the room, hair on the verge of being out of place, the blonde hero waved his arms dramatically. "There's some kind of robot or something in the school that looks like me!" He bent double, catching his breath and restoring his image to perfection.

The others stared at him. Sharing a glance with Jay, Theresa asked carefully, "Are you sure?" Neil was prone to hysterics, so it was standard procedure to make sure he hadn't simply overacted.

"Seriously, there is. Come on, I'll show you." Neil turned and headed back toward the entrance to the school. He pointed down a hallway, one hand on his him. "See? Crazy robot imposter."

"There's nothing there, Neil. Just lockers and a guy's washroom." Atlanta jogged to the end of the hall and checked around the corner, shrugging when she found nothing. "You didn't wander into the bathroom and see yourself in the mirror or anything?" she asked, pushing at the bathroom door.

"What? No! No, he was standing over there," the blond said, indicating a bank of lockers, "and then he, uh, had me up against the wall there." Neil ducked his head and walked to the spot he pointed, hoping the sudden blush he felt on his cheeks would go unnoticed.

Jay, oblivious, considered. "Did he threaten you or try to kidnap you?"

"Well, no, but who wouldn't want to kidnap me?"

Archie laughed. "You have been a target more often than not. The gorgon sisters, Echo, the Stymphalian birds" he said, ticking off fingers. "But nothing looks out of the ordinary. Maybe they've finally figured out you don't make a good hostage?"

Neil stiffened and turned on the warrior. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, naturally we'd be at a disadvantage for leadership if Jay was captured, for strategy if Odie was gone, and the experts at battle if Theresa, Atlanta, Herry or myself were gone. You've got some moves, Neil, but you spend too much time checking your hair." Archie shrugged as if it made perfect sense.

Several retorts about the importance of good hair care filled Neil's mind but for once he didn't voice any of them. Instead, he turned and walked away without a word, choosing to ignore the shouts from Jay that followed him this time. He kept walking until he reached the dorm. Only then did he let his shoulders slump slightly and a quiet sigh escape him. He stepped inside and instantly froze.

"Hello, good looking," Galen said in greeting, looking over from a chair by a window. "I figured you would be a while with your friends, so I came here. I hope you don't mind."

"How did you get in?" Neil looked at the keys in his hand, certain that they had never been out of his pocket or away from him. His designer pants were quite important to him, after all.

Waving a hand nonchalantly, Galen stood. "I told your RA that I lost my keys and he gave me a spare, thinking I was you. I guess he doesn't know you well enough to tell the difference?"

"This is too much," Neil said, dumping his things carelessly by the door and heading straight to the bathroom. He ran some water in the sink and splashed some on his face, hissing from the cold. "I'm hallucinating," he told his image in the mirror. "I've been working too hard in Ms. Erato's art class and I'm seeing things."

Galen's head loomed in the mirror behind his own image. "If you've had a tough day, you can tell me about it." He smiled a dazzling smile and Neil had to quickly bury his face in a fluffy white towel to hide another blush.

"Okay," Neil said as soon as he had restored his image to perfection. "If you want to hear it, then sit down." He himself sank into his own chair and tried not to notice as Galen moved his chair closer.

"I'm all ears."

_I'm crazy to be doing this_, he thought to himself as he tried to put words together. _I should slip away, radio the others, and prove to them that some crazy robot clone is out to get me with his charming smiles and excellent grooming_.

Neil stood up suddenly, nearly knocking over his chair. He stood over Galen, hands in fists to keep them from shaking. "Why are you here?" he demanded. "Why are you being nice, acting like you… like you _know_ me?"

"But I do know you, in a way," the double said. "You're in magazines, on buses, and talked about all over New Olympia. Of course, there are things no one can really know. Everyone has secrets." He held Neil's gaze as he stood, stepping around the table until he had the titan up against the door. "What do you keep in your heart of hearts, Neil?" he asked softly before closing what little space lay between them, kissing the blonde firmly on the mouth.

Stunned, Neil was speechless as Galen pulled away, their eyes still locked. Slowly, however, words began to drop from him, tumbling free as if the kiss had removed a dam. "I'm afraid I'm not a hero," he said in a soft monotone. "What good is Narcissus in the face of Odysseus or Hercules?"

Galen smiled, about to probe for further secrets when a chorus of voices outside the door caused him to look away. He sighed. "I'll see you later," he said, capturing Neil's lips again briefly. "And you're my hero, good looking."

Wits thrown for a loop, Neil mumbled something incoherent, reaching a shaky hand up to touch his lips as Galen disappeared further into the house and out of sight. The door behind him clicked open and sent him stumbling, snapping him from his muddled thoughts. "Hey," he complained loudly, "watch it."

"Oh, Neil, didn't see you there." Jay tossed his jacket into the closet and kicked off his shoes. "Did you just get in?"

The blonde stared at him blankly. "What?" he asked, running a hand absently through his hair. He crossed his arms as he noticed who he was talking to. "Oh, it's you. Are you here to reassure me that next time you'll bother to make use of the full team?" Neil turned and stalked to his room, shutting the door sharply behind him.

Almost immediately there was a knock. "Look, I'm sorry about earlier," Jay said from the other side of the door.

"Whatever, Jay. I'm busy. Can we talk later?" Neil flopped onto his bed, looking up at the ceiling with a frown. He didn't want to be patronized and he was feeling drained from everything that had happened.

"Sure thing," the answer came hesitantly. "Uh, the others and I were planning to go out for some dinner. You in?"

Neil rolled his eyes. "I'm not hungry," he called and listened as Jay's footsteps retreated from the door. When he was sure the appointed leader of the heroes wasn't going to make reappearance, he stretched and settled down to relax. His eyes drifted shut on their own and he yawned. Thoughts of the following day danced lightly through his mind as he fell quickly into a deep sleep.


	3. Special Interest

Thanks once again to everyone who reviewed. Your encouragement keeps me coming back to this story. The fact that the show is on daily doesn't hurt, either. Special thanks to Lost Experiment who offered to create fanart for this story. If it's all right, I'll post a link either here or in my profile when it's finished. I feel so special!

So, in this chapter some questions get answered. Again, if I fudge up some details I apologize and will happily accept help in correcting the error. Read on, and enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Class of the Titans. If I did, the gods would be way, way spiffier. Apollo, for example, would not be overweight, sporting a beard, and talking in a bad Italian accent. He would be handsome, young, and poetic. Hercules would probably be the only one to stay as he is, because I find him funny. And Hera, because she doesn't seem particularly interesting.

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**Special Interest**

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The art room was full of strange, filtered shadows as the light from a small lamp bounced off various statues and paintings. Hunched over a lump of clay, Pamela sat sculpting, working both from memory, a photograph, and another figure she had completed earlier. All of them were of Neil.

"Okay," she said at last, breaking the heavy, creative silence, "I'm going to take a break. You can relax." She wiped a hand across her forehead, leaving a small smear of wet clay. "Thanks for sitting still so long."

Her subject laughed. "I can keep still a lot longer than that, you know." Galen carefully dropped his assumed pose and stood, walking over to admire the work in progress. He whistled. "The more you do, the better you get, Pam." He fondly ruffled her hair. "You'd make your ancestor proud," he said.

Pam blushed. "I don't know about that. I may be a descendent of Pygmalion, the famous sculptor, but he made someone to fall in love with. I'm stuck making him," she gestured at the photo of Neil.

"You'll get a chance to be great." He bent and kissed her cheek fondly, wiping away the smudge. "As soon as you get this… commission over with, you can fulfill your heart's desire."

"Yes, of course she can. We made a deal, didn't we?" Chronus asked smugly, stepping into the dim lamplight. He glanced at the half-formed sculpture and looked under a blue tarp, smiling at the statues already made. "You make these statues for me and keep your mouth shut to Neil, and I return your great masterpiece to you."

Pam sighed and signaled to Galen, who retook his seat. Her hands once more began to skillfully shape the clay, pulling Neil's lovely form from the shapeless nothing. "How many of these do you want, anyway?" She kept her attention strictly on the clay in front of her, refusing to look up into Chronus' dark eyes.

"Fifty or so should do nicely, and by the weekend I think," he said, glancing over at Galen. "You should be able to charm Neil away from the others by then I trust?" The double nodded stiffly. "You'll be able to meet my order, won't you, Pam?"

She considered. "It won't be easy to get them done in two days, but I should be able to. But with all the work I'll be putting in, I won't be able to animate them all by then." Thoughts for how she would be able to make and explain fifty statues of Neil were quickly racing through her mind.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of that little detail." The Titan dropped the tarp and headed for the door.

"Chronus," she called, daring to look away from her work and face the deity of time. "After I do this for you, after I make all these statues, our contract will be over, right? You'll give me back what's rightfully mine and leave me alone?"

His back to her, Chronus smiled. "Of course. By next week it will be all over."

--

The moment Neil opened his bedroom door he could feel tension waiting to press down on him in the form of awkward, half-sincere apologies and poorly worded questions. He quickly glided into the bathroom, thankfully vacant, keeping his head down and avoiding any eyes pointed his way. Looking in the mirror, Neil was met with an unusually unkempt reflection that gazed tiredly back. He was quick to step into the shower, leaving the horrible image behind.

His night hadn't gone well. After sleeping deeply for several hours, suggestive dreams had started invading his mind, leading to long hours in the early morning of twisting and turning, uncomfortable both physically and mentally. At last his alarm had gone off and he was able to escape his cluttered mind, at least for a few minutes. Under the hot spray of the shower, however, his thoughts turned on him.

Galen's face – his own face, really – smiling at him, calling him a hero in a hazy, not-quite-real sort of way, almost mocked Neil as he scrubbed shampoo from his hair. It also brought familiar heat to his cheeks as the sudden, but not unpleasant, kiss also came to mind. Frustrated, confused, Neil wrenched the shower off and stumbled out, hastily wrapping a towel around his waist before stepping out of the bathroom in a cloud of steam.

The collective stares he received were completely unexpected. "What?" he asked, gazing sullenly out from behind a veil of dripping hair. He walked to his room quickly but turned at the sound of an uncomfortable cough. The blonde turned, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "What?" he asked again, almost tapping a foot in his impatients.

"Are you… okay, Neil?" Theresa asked slowly. She paused, considering her words carefully. A quick glance passed between her and Jay before she continued. "You seemed upset yesterday, and I thought I heard crying last night from your room."

"I was not crying," he said quickly, trying to fight down his returning blush and suddenly aware of how little he had on. "I didn't sleep very well, that's all." Neil ducked into his room and grabbed his familiar white and black shirt, pulling it on and ignoring the damp feel as the water from his hair trickled down his back.

Archie's voice followed him. "Sure, whatever you say, man." He shared a laugh with a few others. "Your secret is safe with us."

Neil reappeared in the common area, hair perfectly combed and his usual air of perfection around him. The only sign that anything was out of the ordinary was the frown tugging at his lips. He grabbed his school bag, slipped on his shoes and was out the door without another word.

When he was safely a block or two away, the blonde allowed himself to slow his pace and trudge in a dignified manner toward the school. He had tried to tell them about his clone, but they hadn't believed him. Instead, they fell back on the tired jokes about his self-adoration and blew the whole thing off. Neil wondered when they would get over it, if they would get over it. He was descended from Narcissus, so of course he looked incredibly good! And such handsomeness deserved to be admired, and there was no better admirer than himself.

_Except for Galen_, his mind whispered. _Maybe falling in love with yourself, literally, isn't such a bad thing. Narcissus was punished, but I'm supposed to be lucky. This could just be my luck kicking in, trying to improve things_.

He sighed, torn. On one hand, a part of him wanted to see where things would go with his strange mirror image. On the other hand, his rational mind continued to point out that this was most likely a plot by Chronus. But he couldn't see how giving him happiness would bring about the end of the world.

As if in answer to his thoughts, Neil was grabbed from behind and pulled into a clump of bushes across the street from the school. Before he could so much as muster one of his manly screams, he came face to face with himself. Galen flashed him a smile and started carefully picking leaves out of Neil's hair.

"Hey, good-looking. I'm sorry for the sudden grab, but I wanted to see you before school." In apology, he held up a single calla lily. "Flowers are cheesy, I know, but better than forcing myself on you. Sorry about last night, too."

Neil stared at the flower for a moment, wondering if he should feel insulted that he was being treated like a girl. A strange fluttering in his chest, however, decided that he didn't mind and in fact rather liked the attention. He took the lily carefully. "About last night," he said softly, "I'm kind of sorry too. But you have to understand I'm a little wary of all of this. Clones don't just pop up everyday."

"All too true." Galen laughed. "Will you let me woo you, then?" Neil choked, nearly dropping his flower. The duplicate smiled. "What I mean is, will you let me prove to you that I can be trusted?"

"I guess so," Neil said, nodding.

"Great. Find me in the art room after school and we'll go from there." The teen hero nodded again and stood, wading out of the bushes. "Have a good day at school, Neil," Galen's voice called and Neil found himself looking forward to the day to come.

--

Classes seemed to pass by in a blink. Before long, the final bell was ringing and Neil was wandering into the school's art room, wondering just what he might expect to find. Ms. Erato glanced up from a pile of drawings on her desk as he entered and beamed.

"Neil, wonderful! I'm glad that you're here." She stood and ushered him toward the back of the room, where works in progress and clay pieces waiting to be fired were stored. "Pamela, the girl who joined your class the other day, proposed a special project that I find most interesting."

"She was that impressed by all that is me, was she?" Neil couldn't help but puff out his chest a little more and run a hand through his hair.

The brunette appeared from behind a large form covered in a tarp. "Something like that, sir," she said shyly. "You're the best model I've had in quite some time, and I was hoping I could do a series of sculptures of you in various positions." A slight blush colored her cheeks. "I have some photos of you from magazines, but it's not the same as having you in person."

"If you do this, Neil," Erato said, smiling away, "I'll give you full credit in all the course work except pencil drawing, since you said you could do that." She clapped him warmly on the shoulder.

Faced with this offer, and a stroke to his complex, Neil could hardly say no. "Sure, why not? I can hardly let a fan down, or refuse the art world my beauty." He slid onto a nearby stool.

"Excellent!" the teacher boomed, clapping her hands. "Well, I'll let you two sort things out and get started while I go file some grades. I'll be back in a little while." She swept out of the room.

"So, how would you like me to sit?" he asked, shifting into various positions. "Do you want something casual like this? Or maybe something a little thoughtful…"

"Actually, Neil," Pam interrupted, "I'll sculpt while you and Galen talk. You came here to see him, after all." She turned back to the tarp that had hid her and pulled it off. Uncovered, Galen offered a little wave.

"I thought this would help you see I'm not a threat." He stepped off the small pedestal and took a seat on another stool, next to Neil. "Chronus didn't make me. Pamela did."

---

A/N: A little something different this time, I'm going to say something at the end. About the Pygmalion myth, I know that he doesn't actually bring the statue to life himself, and therefore Pam shouldn't be able to, either. Aphrodite (I believe) animated Galatea for Pygmalion instead.

However, since Class of the Titans isn't super strict on mythology in the first place, and the story wouldn't quite work otherwise, I'm bending things a little bit. I hope you don't mind.


	4. One on One

Hi, I'm back again. Wow, the support for this story just keeps coming. You don't know how happy I get when I see a review waiting for me in my inbox. It's just the thing I need after a hard day's work, so many thanks to everyone. To show my appreciation, I'm updating sooner than I probably would have otherwise. Much more special thanks to Lost Experiment, who left an inspiring review and has completed some fanart for the story.

Check it out: http/ www (dot) nocturnalsoldier (dot) org/neilgalencolour (dot) jpg.

Just take out the spaces and the (dot)s and enjoy.

Personally, I quite love it. It capture's Galen's sort of slyness and Neil's uncertainty. Plus, I think she picked a good quote. So, Lost Experiment, thanks once again for the AMAZING art. I'm sure the other reviewers agree with me.

Disclaimer: I don't own Class of the Titans. If I did, Zeus, in hiding, would be a lot less obvious. Considering he's disguised himself as such things as a shower of gold, a swan, and a bull, I think he can do better than a janitor with the name of Mr. Suez, which is just Zeus backwards.

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**One on One**

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Galen was once again on his feet, disappearing into a small back office. "When she finds an interest, she turns it into art," his voice drifted back over the sounds of rummaging and ruffling of paper. He emerged carrying a small birdcage. "A few years ago, it was all about birds."

Neil took the cage as it was offered to him, peeking through the bars at the grey nightingale on its perch. As he watched, the little bird seemed to take on greater depth and color until it suddenly burst into a trill of song, startling him into dropping everything altogether. The melody was silenced as the cage clattered across the floor.

"Oops?" Neil offered lamely, reaching for it. "It's all right, isn't it?"

Galen scooped up the cage and offered it to the hero. "Don't worry about it." He tapped the cage with the finger and the nightingale was soon crooning softly, flitting about on its perch. "I'm the same, only better looking." As Neil watched, the color bleached from his cheeks until Galen appeared nothing more than what Pam was creating as they spoke: a sculpture.

Hesitantly, Neil reached out to touch his double's clay shoulder, running his fingers slowly toward the neck. In a blink, as he reached the collar bone, color and warmth had return and the blonde was looking into Galen's unwavering eyes. Startled, Neil blushed.

Galen gently took Neil's hand and held it loosely in his own, keeping their eyes locked on each other. "So, good-looking, will you let me woo you?"

Neil's thoughts seemed strangely leaden, focused on the fact that he was being indirectly complimented by himself and that it filled him with a strange sort of pleasure rather than on the question. "Huh?" he asked slowly, wondering if his eyes were the same color as Galen's.

"Do you want to go out tomorrow night?"

"Yeah, I think I'd like that." Neil handed back the nightingale, which had fallen silent, and stood. "I've got a meeting to get to." He glanced over at Pam, working in the corner. "When do you want me back?"

She jumped, concentration snapping back to the world around her outside the art. "Uh, art class tomorrow and after school again." Pamela wiped her hands on an apron and offered a nervous smile. "If you don't mind, that is."

He waved her off with his free hand. "Not at all. A model's work is never done."

Galen stood with him, bending down to kiss Neil's hand. "I'll walk you home when you're done, if you can manage to slip away." He winked. "And try not to let them bother you too much. They're just jealous."

The blonde nodded absently, preoccupied with how warm his hand felt. "I should go," he said, turning and walking to the door. He looked back and smiled, giving Galen a wink of his own. "Find me in the bushes from this morning." He slipped out of the room.

_I'm probably crazy for doing this, but I don't really care_, he thought to himself on the way to the janitor's closet. _Chronus isn't behind this; I'm just being rewarded for being so fascinating_. As he stepped through the shimmering barrier and took his place at the back of the prophesized seven, he added a snide, _and rewarded for putting up with these uncultured oafs._

Hera appeared from an arched hallway, Aphrodite and Ares trailing behind her. She smiled warmly at her students as she stood before them. "Hello, heroes. I trust your studies went well today?" Mumbled replies chorused back to her and she continued. "You will continue your strategy training today with Odie taking the lead. Ares will be supervising." She gestured to the god of war who beckoned for them to follow. "Neil," Hera said quietly, stopping him. "Your mentor would like to have a word with you first."

"Come on, honey. We can talk in my room." Aphrodite grabbed his hand and led him off to her bower and the seashell bed within. A few of her attendants smiled and giggled when they entered, winking at Neil but he ignored them. "Have a seat, dear."

He did as she directed, perching on the edge of the clamshell, resisting the sudden urge to bounce. "What's up?"

Her hands were suddenly on her hips. "I'm afraid I did some looking into that Pamela girl you were talking about yesterday, and a teeny, tiny bit of snooping. Sweetie, do you know what you're getting into?"

"You were spying on me?" Neil chose to misinterpret what was being said to him, latching onto something he could protest. "Why?"

"I was worried, Neil. You have a pretty face, I won't argue with you, but falling in love with someone just because of it isn't a good idea. Not to mention the whole Narcissist thing isn't exactly healthy." She took a seat next to him, placing a hand gently on his shoulder.

Neil shrugged the hand off, getting to his feet and starting to pace. "I don't believe this. You of all people I thought would understand." He frowned. "I can take care of myself, Aphrodite. I am one of the chosen ones after all."

"I know, honey, I know. But still, that statue guy is just that, a statue. He's not real, and you shouldn't fall in love with your image painted on something that's not alive like you are." Aphrodite chewed nervously at her bottom lip. "After all, your ancestor met his end in a similar situation."

He turned on her, features twisted into a beautifully angry image. "How dare you," he said, standing over her. "I know the story and I know what happened, but this is completely different. For starters, Narcissus was cursed by you gods because he didn't pay attention to anyone else. Unless things have changed, I'm not very wanted." Neil turned away, running a hand over his face, trying to calm down. "And unless you've done something, or told one of your divine friends, I'm not cursed.

"Neil, sweetie, calm down. I didn't mean –" She was cut off.

"No one ever does," he said sadly, and left the bower of love and beauty.

Neil slipped into the practice room as quietly as he could, hoping that he wouldn't be noticed for a few minutes as he collected his thoughts. He couldn't believe that Aphrodite wouldn't trust him to know what he was doing, to give him some credit. _I didn't blindly rush into this, I thought about it first. And, well, I think I'm doing the right thing._

A hand waving in front of his face broke him from his thoughts. "Neil?" Odie asked, snapping his fingers for good measure. At the blonde's clueless expression, he pointed to the entrance where Aphrodite stood, nervously wringing her hands.

"I didn't tell anyone," she said quietly and then turned and swept away. Neil pretended not to hear her, pulling out his monogrammed hand mirror and carefully checking his teeth.

Odie jumped in on the silence, holding up what looked like a new version of their PMRs. "Can you be lookout in this next scenario?"

"Yeah, we'll be able to hear him scream a kilometer away." Atlanta chuckled.

About to take the new gadget, Neil froze. He crossed his arms and turned to face her. "Excuse me?" He cast a glance at all of them, shaking his head at their blank or slightly puzzled expressions. "I'm tired. I'll see you back at the dorm." _Unfortunately_.

"Neil, wait," Jay's hand on his shoulder caused the blonde to stop. "What's bothering you?"

"What's bothering me? Gee, let me think about it. Maybe it's the fact that I've been the butt of every joke since joining this so-called team." He rolled his eyes heavily.

Archie shrugged. "Come on, man. It's all in good fun."

"Oh, so I can start poking fun at your heel? Or point out that Atlanta's probably easily distracted by shiny things?" He turned away from them, walking back toward the entrance to the school. "I don't make fun of your ancestors, so what makes you think I'm fair game?" he muttered under his breath. "I guess all's fair so long as it's in good fun."

He wasn't surprised when no one followed him. His bet was that Archie and Atlanta were mad at him now, Herry and Odie were keeping out of it, and Jay and Theresa were confused as to who to support and who to chastise. _Some team_, he thought.

He jumped a good few meters when he was pulled into a hug from behind a few minutes after leaving Olympia High. "You need to wear a bell or something," he hissed over the sound of his racing heart.

"Sorry, dear," Galen chuckled into Neil's hair. "So, you're all done? It seems a bit early." He turned the hero around so that he was hugging him properly. Slowly, Neil hugged back.

"Yeah, I'm done." The blonde's shoulders dropped slightly. "Done until they appreciate me, anyway."

Galen frowned, settling for holding Neil's hand as they started walking back toward the dorm. "They really don't know how great you are, do they? Wow. I knew the big burly one and the guy in the horrible blue sweat suite were dense, but everyone? You must have incredible patience." He gently swung their clasped hands. "Would you be up for starting our date early, then? To make you feel better?"

Neil considered. "I don't know about a full fledged date, but something to eat and someone to do things with sounds good right now." They stood in front of the dorm, looking up at the doors. "Just let me drop my stuff, first."

He quickly unlocked the door and slipped inside, tossing his bag on the couch and paying a brief visit to his room to check his hair and grab some extra money. A final mirror check and a hasty note saying that he was just, 'out,' and he was ready to go. He grabbed a jacket and was back out the door, a bit eager to get going before the others returned.

"How were you planning to disguise the fact that you look like me?" he asked, taking Galen's offered arm and trying to act casually about the entire situation. He was about to hang out with someone who was essentially himself. It was perfectly normal.

"No problem," Galen assured him. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out something that he placed on his head. "I have a hat."


	5. Out and In

I must say, I'm amazed. This is probably the first time where I've sat down and wrote two chapters in two days. Thank you for all the great inspiration. The more I get, the more I write, and the happier everyone is. Thanks again to Lost Experiment, who helped inspire the last bit of this chapter. There should be some more great art finished soon, and you'll see what I'm talking about.

In other news, I'm toying with a few ideas for some other fics in this genre once Skin Deep is done. Of course, lovely Neil plays an important role in them as he is just so wonderful. I'm assuming there would be some interest? But enough self-plugging. On with the story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Class of the Titans. If I did, Chronus would have taken advantage of Archie's wonky heel in some way by now. It's just sitting there, waiting to be poked or kicked or something. The brace doesn't exactly make it subtle, either.

---

**Out and In**

---

They started with something to eat, finding a booth in the back of a Japanese restaurant to talk quietly as Neil sipped on a cup of green tea and ate sushi daintily with chopsticks. Galen waved off any offer to share.

"Nonsense," he said. "Enjoy your food while I enjoy your company. I don't need to eat, anyway." Along the way to the restaurant, Neil had given Galen his jacket, which he was fiddling with. "So, when would you like to talk about your short little meeting?"

"Never," Neil mumbled around a California roll. He swallowed thickly and took a long sip of his tea, aware of the set of deep eyes watching him from across the table. "I like being the center of attention," he said slowly, "but I prefer it to be about my winning smile, or my well groomed looks." The blonde rested his head on a hand, twirling his chopsticks between his fingers. "I'd even prefer to be told to stop looking in the mirror and help, than to be blown off all together."

Galen shrugged. "The others probably fail to realize just how valuable you are. Have you ever had the chance to prove that you're more than just a pretty face?" He reached across to still the whirling sticks, holding the hand loosely on the tabletop.

"Oh, sure. But every time something good happens, my luck gets all the credit."

"So? I'd take luck over pretty much anything else. Luck, you don't have to think about or keep in shape so you don't lose it." With deft fingers, Galen plucked a tuna roll from Neil's plate and popped it in his mouth.

"I thought you said you don't eat?" Neil asked, raising and eyebrow, a hint of a smile trying to force its way onto his face.

Galen winked. "I don't have to, but I can here and there if I'm so inclined." He reached into a pocket in his jeans and pulled out some money for the meal. Then, he guided Neil out of the restaurant and out into the street starting to come alive with people looking for dinner or a little early night life. "Chin up, good-looking," he murmured into Neil's ear, "you've got me, now."

--

With a small yawn, Pamela slid yet another statue onto a drying board and placed it next to the other completed pieces. This one depicted Neil as he received the kiss on his hand from Galen, though her life-size work was absent from the sculpture. She had managed five since the blondes had left, one to a meeting and the other to wait for the meeting to be over, and she was having trouble concentrating. Her hands were dry and raw from the clay and she had taken to sneezing from the dust on her work board. Only once before had she worked so hard for so long, and she definitely wasn't used to it.

"Feeling tired are we?" Chronus said behind her, causing her to jump slightly and whirl around to face him. "I'm just here to see how you're fairing. Checking on my order, if you will." He glanced at the most recent statue and smiled. "I take it the duplicate is having some success?"

"Galen's out with him right now. He phoned earlier to let me know." She went to grab a sheet of plastic to cover her work but the Titan stopped her.

He picked the clay figure up off its board, inspecting it with great satisfaction. "I think I'll take this one now, if you don't mind." Chronus patted Pam on the shoulder. "And I trust you will have the rest finished in time?"

"Of course," she said, looking at the floor. "I would do anything to get back what you took from me."

--

Jay was feeling a bit tired. With saving the world, studying for school, and trying to create and remember all the new strategies Hera and Ares were so keen on them to familiarize, he felt he hardly had a spare moment for regular things, like sleep. And now with Neil acting aloof, granted he had a good reason, the leader of the modern heroes could feel a headache coming on. Behind him, adding to the building pressure in his mind, an argument was going on, and had been most of the way back to the dorm.

"Seriously, I don't get what Neil is so upset about," said Archie for the fifth time since the conversation began. "We all tease each other, all the time, but no one else is throwing a tantrum. If it bothered him so much, why didn't he just stand up for himself and say something before blowing up?" He stuffed his hands into the pockets on his sweatshirt. _I did when it came to all the water jokes, and everyone's stopped. More or less_.

Odie shrugged and adjusted the straps on his knapsack. "Maybe he was too busy making sure his hair was okay or something. The guy does spend a lot of his time checking himself out."

"But guys, there is such a thing as enough is enough." Theresa, too, felt tired and was beginning to regret getting herself bogged down defending someone who wasn't around to do it himself. "Jay," she pleaded, "say something."

Their leader ran both hands through his hair and took a deep, calming breath while he collected his thoughts. "Guys," he said finally, "we have been rough on Neil because of who his distant ancestor was. Maybe he should have said something about it sooner, but he didn't and we need to show him that he's our friend and we're sorry now that it's gone this far." Jay looked back over his shoulder as he unlocked the door, looking at his team. "Do you think you can do that?" Everyone nodded.

They dumped their stuff at the door, hanging coats, stashing bags, and tucking away shoes where necessary. Herry, Theresa and Jay headed for the television, hoping a good movie was one while the others split off to take care of other things, even if they were as mundane as homework. It was Theresa who managed to sit on Neil's discarded bag.

She quickly stood up again, frowning at the article as she grabbed it to toss into the model's room. As she moved it, something slipped from the open zipper and landed at her feet. "A flower?" she said. Of all the things to fall out of Neil's bag, she hardly had expected the lily staring up at her. Theresa looked over at Herry and Jay. "Why would he have a flower?"

"Who knows?" Herry said, channel surfing. "Maybe one of those fans of his he mentions from time to time. They could've traded a flower for an autographed picture or a photo op." He stopped on something that looking promising, eyes glazing over just enough to signal that he had tuned out just about everything besides the T.V.

"Well, I'll put it in some water for him." She frowned at the bag. "After I get rid of this, that is." Once she had gotten rid of it, Theresa was quick to snip the end of the lily and slide it into a tall glass half full of water. She wiped off the scissors, tucked them away and turned back to the flower, intending to find a nice spot for it to sit. Unfortunately the flower didn't want to cooperate with her. "Jay?" she called. "Could you come here for a second?"

He poked his head into the kitchen. "What's up?" he asked, and Theresa pointed at the glass. "Was that the flower?" Where a moment before had been a white calla lily, there now sat a wet, grey lump and a glass of murky water.

"When I turned around, it was, I don't know, melting or something," she said as Jay carefully picked up a piece of the lump, running it between his fingers.

He squinted at it and then took a look at the water. "Well, it doesn't seem dangerous or anything. Go get Odie so he can have a look at it. He'll probably be able to tell us more." Theresa nodded and left. Jay took the opportunity to slip into Neil's room and retrieve his school bag, taking a quick look inside for any more lilies.

"What's this I hear about a melting flower?" Archie poked his head into the hall as Jay headed back to the kitchen. "I heard Theresa saying something about it to Odie?"

The leader shrugged, gesturing for the warrior to follow. "Neil had one in his bag, and when Theresa put it in water, it just sort of dissolved." Already his mind was filling with ways this could be linked to Chronus, and the hope that it was just some sort of weird fungus or something. "Nothing's ever as it seems around here, is it?"

"You can say that again," Archie agreed.

--

For a long time, they walked in easy silence. Galen watched the people pass by, occasionally stealing looks at Neil, off in his own thoughts. They had no destination in mind, already having discussed and rejected the idea of a movie or a bar. So, hand in hand, the pair had set out walking, happy enough to just be in each other's company for a while.

Neil, internally, was a turmoil of emotion. He had to admit to himself that since Galen had swept him off for some time away from the dorm and the life of a beautiful modern hero, his mood had greatly improved. The warm, glowing feeling in his chest also wasn't going away, a fact that once made him uneasy but now was sort of comforting, in its own way. But there were still a few things bothering him, so he broke the quiet.

"How long have you been around? Before freaking me out in the school and everything, I mean," he asked.

"Well," Galen considered, "about a week, I think. Pam got a photo of you from a magazine and got permission from your art teacher to do a big sculpture. Me, of course. I read up about you, did a little reconnaissance so I wouldn't look terrible in front of your wonderful self and then finally got to meet you, face to face." He flicked back his hat a little, remembering the day before. "I came on too strong, I think. But really, it's hard not to."

Neil drew himself into one of his haughty poses. "I can imagine." He deflated slightly when he considered his own feelings toward Galen, an image of himself. "Actually, I know."

"Now you're just trying to flatter me." He smiled warmly at Neil, releasing his hand and throwing an arm up around the blonde's shoulders and pulling him a little closer as they walked. "You really are something, Neil."

_I'm blushing again_, the hero thought to himself as his face lit up with a familiar wash of heat. Aphrodite's words suddenly sprang to mind, but strangely not what she had been trying to enforce. Rather, it was what she had suggested that had him quickly pulling out his mirror to hide behind. _I think I really am falling for him._

"Galen?" he said a few minutes later when he felt he could speak normally. "Why is it you decided to like me?" _I have to be sure about this_. Neil didn't want his mentor to be proved right, to have everyone proved right when they said his obsession with himself could only lead to bad places. "It wasn't just because Pam told you to, was it?"

Galen stopped completely and took Neil by the shoulders, meeting his eyes with a sudden, unwavering intensity. "Pam didn't tell me to do anything but get to know you, Neil, and I was happy to do it. You are very interesting, very beautiful." He brought one hand up to cup Neil's cheek. "I would have come to you even if the situation was different." The street suddenly seemed very empty.

_She was wrong_, Neil said to himself as the gap between him and Galen slowly closed. _I knew she was wrong_.


	6. Getting To It

What's this? An update? I'm as amazed as you are. My fingers just won't stop typing and every time my email dings with another review they type a little faster. Thanks again to everyone who reviewed. Special thanks to Qk for reviewing both new chapters, instead of just the latest one. I'm touched by the attention.

Once again the amazing Lost Experiment has created brilliant art in honor of my story. This picture helped inspire the last bit of the previous chapter, and my writing for this chapter in general.

Check it out: http/ www . nocturnalsoldier . org / neilgalentouch . jpg

On another note, updates may slow down until around Monday-Tuesday next week because of a few reasons. First, I work Thursday to Monday almost all day and by the time I get home I'm pretty tired. Writing is usually not high on my list to do, but I may make an exception. Second, I'm depending on wireless Internet to post updates and lately the Internet, both wireless and cable, has decided to hate me. Hopefully, though, everything will work out.

Disclaimer: I do not own Class of the Titans. If I did, Poseidon would not have been beaten by Chronus just by losing his trident. He would have set a herd of raging sea bulls or some sea monsters of his own on his dear old dad, and shown him just who is the mighty god of the sea.

---

**Getting To It**

---

"From what I can tell, it's just some white clay," Odie said, looking up from his computer monitor. He held up something else, what appeared to be a slightly soggy petal. "And a chunk of what it should be; a lily. Other than that, there's not much I can tell you. Whoever gave that to Neil should probably get a refund."

By this point, everyone was gathered in the kitchen to witness the strange melting flower; even Herry, who had been dragged away from the television. Atlanta picked up the glass, swirling the murky water around. "So it was just a really good copy made out of clay?" she asked. "That's still a nice gift. It wouldn't die that way."

"I don't think so," Theresa said, taking the glass from her and rinsing it out. "It felt real and when it started melting, the color just drained from it." She put the cup away and turned, trying to remember exactly what she had seen. "But not like paint or anything that would be put on a sculpture to make it look real." She sighed. "It's hard to explain."

"Well, there's no indication of the chemicals found in paints or glazes in the scan." Odie was checking over the readings displayed on the screen of his computer a second time. "But I haven't exactly had a chance to test this feature out yet, so I don't know how accurate it is."

Jay crossed his arms, still trying to figure out what this could mean. "We'll just have to ask Neil about it when he gets back." He glanced sternly at Archie. "And no jokes." The warrior put his hands up in surrender and nodded.

"Did someone say my name?" Neil asked, leaning on the doorframe. "Boy, everyone sure seems excited about something. What is it? Did my latest spread come in?" He looked around the counters hoping to spot a magazine or catalogue but coming up empty handed. "I guess not. So tell me, why the kitchen conference?"

"Neil, great, you're here. There's something Jay wanted to ask you," Archie said quickly, recovering from the sudden surprise of a cheerful model appearing behind them. Jay shot him a look. "But first, I just wanted to apologize for how I've been acting. I guess I have been joking about you too much lately, and it's stopped being fun.

Atlanta stepped up beside him. "We've all been pretty crummy friends."

The blonde looked at each of their faces, seeing that they were sincere. He smiled, throwing open his arms. "Well of course I forgive you. _I'm_ a good friend, at least."

They stared at him. "You do?" Jay asked. "I mean, great. You are sure, though, right? You seemed, I guess, more upset about all of this."

"Nah, it's fine. I thought about it and Archie was right. It's all in fun and it makes sure I'm the center of attention." He inspected his nails carefully, making it clear that the center of attention was exactly where he thought he should be. "Besides," he said, "isn't there some sort of saying about bygones being bygones?" Neil grinned. "Well, there you go. Bye! Gone! So long troubles." They stared at him for a moment until he said, "Get it?" Then a few groans escaped, the loudest from Herry.

"So Neil," Theresa finally spoke up, a bit out of sorts with the sudden change of mood. "There was a flower in your bag and we were wondering where you got it from. It sort of dissolved when I put it in a glass of water. Odie says it was made of clay."

Neil tapped his chin, thinking back. "Oh, right, that. A girl gave it to me, saying I looked really good," he flashed another winning smile which seemed to say 'of course I do, all the time,' and continued, "but said something about it being fake so it would last." He shrugged. "I think it was some all natural thing or whatever."

Everyone looked at Odie. "Well, I suppose it is possible to make it realistic without using paint." Catching Theresa's expression, her mouth a thin line of disbelief, he thought about it a little more carefully. "But I'm not sure how it could feel real, like Theresa described."

"Hey, I know no more than you do," Neil said. He calmly fished through his pocket for his trademark mirror, throwing out a wad of paper in the process. "I'll keep an eye out for her tomorrow, though, if that helps."

Jay nodded. "See if you can get some answers."

--

As the kiss broke, Neil was breathless. His hand drifted up to touch the one against his cheek, resting on it gently as the night air cooled his warm cheeks. The smile that had been hovering, occasionally making fleeting appearances since the sushi restaurant, finally found its way to his lips. "I'm not sure what to say," he said softly.

Galen returned the smile and once more wrapped an arm around Neil's shoulders, pulling him comfortably close. "Well, since there's nothing left to talk about can I persuade you to come back to my place?"

"You have your own house, too?" The blonde resisted the urge to ask if it was made of clay too, although he was curious. Just what else had Pamela made real out of her imagination and a little bit of art supplies. "I'm impressed.

His date couldn't help but laugh. "Don't I wish that were true. No, I usually spend my nights in the art room." Seeing Neil starting to lose his wonderful smile, Galen was quick to add, "But since this is a special occasion, with excellent timing, we can head back to Pam's and pretend it's my swinging bachelor pad."

Neil chuckled. "Sure," he consented. "How is it good timing, though? Did she suddenly decide to sleep at school?"

"No, but her parents are out of town and her younger brother is at a friend's until next week." They left the hum and lights of the downtown district and headed for a quiet residential area a few neighborhoods away from the school. "And we're in luck. There's a den downstairs so we won't bother Pam when she comes home."

"Well, I am lucky you know."

Galen leaned in and kissed his cheek. "I'm certainly lucky to have you."

The talk of his heroic trait reminded Neil of the uplifting conversation they had had a few hours earlier. _It's true what he said_, the blonde thought, _luck is handier than super strength or speedy feet_. As he considered all the times his luck had gotten him out of tough spots, something else came to mind. He barely registered the quaint home in front of him or Galen guiding him inside and down to the promised den. _How could I have missed it?_ he wondered. _It should have been my first question._

He sat next to himself on a comfortable grey sofa, suddenly gripped with worry. "There's something else I'm curious about. You may have studied up on me, maybe learned some things about my friends, but how could you know about Chronus, or my luck for that matter?" _Unless you're working for him_. Neil didn't want to believe it, had been so sure that he knew what he was doing…

"I was wondering when you'd ask," Galen replied, fiddling with a television remote. "I'm not sure I want to answer, considering how far we've come, you know?" He looked at Neil a little sadly. "I would've thought you'd trust me by now."

"I want to," was Neil's answer. "But I have to consider the fact that this may all be a lie."

Galen set the remote down, turning on the couch so that he was facing Neil. "Chronus came to Pam before she made me and tried to convince her to work for him," he said softly, hands clasped in his lap. "She said no, but he threatened her, threatened her family. She still said no." He gently took Neil's hand and held it against his cheek. "He told her about you and your friends. Nothing specific, just that you were supposed to be heroes but were really nothing more than snobby kids meddling where they shouldn't be. Pam didn't believe him, so he left.

She made me in the hopes that I would be able to stand between you and Chronus in case he managed to come up with another way to make his plan work. The rest, you know." He kissed Neil's palm and let go of the hand. "I can understand why you don't trust me."

Guiltily, Neil looked at his outstretched hand, unmoved from where Galen had dropped it. Slowly he raised it until it rested shakily against his duplicate's cheek. "I'm sorry," he said, looking down. "I didn't know and I jumped to the wrong conclusion."

"You couldn't know and I don't blame you. Having a megalomaniac after you is a good reason to be mistrustful in strange situations." He held Neil's hand against his face, running a thumb over the blonde's fingers, a small smile on his lips. "You're free to go home, if you like."

Neil didn't bother with words. It was his turn to take the lead as he brought his free hand up to the other side of Galen's face and pulled him in for a long, slow kiss that ended with them nose to nose, the model flushed and the copy wide-eyed. "I think I'll stay here, if you don't mind," he said finally, smiling with satisfaction. "I have some excellent company."

The stunned expression was quick to fade and be replaced with a wide smile. "You know," Galen said smoothly, shifting to snake an arm around Neil's waist to pull him close, "there's a guest room down here, too."

"Is that an invitation to stay the night?" the model asked, glad to have sailed through stormy waters alive and silently cursing himself for being such an idiot. "Because that would be wonderful." He offered Galen his most fetching, playboy glance. "For more than one reason."

Nothing more was said between the two as Galen cupped Neil's cheek once more and dipped in to steal a kiss. The model's hand reached up to the nape of Galen's neck, a few fingers running through the short blonde hairs there. Now that they'd both agreed on where their relationship was going, even if it was with actions more than words, the kiss grew deeper and Galen pressed Neil back into the sofa so that he was straddling Neil's waist, propped on one hand over him.

They broke for air a moment later, Neil reaching up to touch his lips in a light-headed daze before wrapping his arms around Galen's neck and pulling him down again. Galen carefully levered himself next to the blonde and then snaked a hand halfway up Neil's shirt, eliciting a shiver and a small gasp. He took advantage of the open mouth and deepened the kiss further, pulling a muffled moan from Neil's throat.

"You take my breath away, good-looking," Galen whispered into the model's ear, having pulled away and kissed a trail across a hot cheek to get there. He was about reclaim a pair swollen lips when they were interrupted by a small yawn on Neil's part. Galen smiled, maneuvering himself off the couch and then scooping his company up in one smooth motion. "What say you and I finish this in the bedroom?" He smirked as Neil blushed.


	7. Closer

So, the whole 'I may not update because I'm working' thing may have been a tad premature. I spent my free time today planning out stuff for this chapter after taking the morning to type madly and get most of this update done. But with the weekend and nine hour days looming, there's still a chance for a bit of a burnout.

I'd like to take a moment to address a few reviews because I figure, why not? Firstly, yes, the lily clay was not fired. The rest, I leave to your imagination. Galen's name comes from my attempt to make a masculine version of Galatea without being too obvious, as a reference to the Pygmalion myth. Pamela is indeed a descendent of his, which Mersang actually managed to guess. Kudos. The Neil army, well, you'll just have to wait and see what's going to happen with them, and what the deal between Pam and Chronus is. Is she really unfeeling, does she care deep down, and for that matter what are Galen feelings? All will be answered in good time, I promise.

Thank you Yams, Demenior, Mersang, Silverpoppy, Lost Experiment, ree-shee, crazy-multimind-potato, Qk, Nuuoa Éclair, closet geek, Ambivalence, Captain Starseeker, Green Budgie, i'm your biggest fan now (aw, thanks), and StinkFace for reviewing this story. I appreciate it very, very much. I'm also glad Green Budgie enjoys my disclaimers. I enjoy them too.

More fan art to come soon, too! Thanks Lost Experiment. You're too good to me.

Disclaimer: I do not own Class of the Titans. If I did, Chronus would not fall into the typical bad-guy stereotype of having stupid minions and leaving his master plans to incompetent fools. If this had to be the case, for the sake of him not being invincible and everything, he would at least not wait carefully schedule intervals between attacks. He would be sporadic and random, using the heroes' mortal limitations and psychological warfare to his advantage.

---

**Closer**

---

They fell onto the bed almost soundlessly, only a small gasp and a following chuckle breaking the silence. The room was dark, the only light spilling in from a small window and a crack under the door that led back to the den where everything had started. There were hushed murmurs, brief kisses, and the rustle of fabric as a pair of shirts found themselves discarded in a corner. More movement, sharp breaths and white smiles flashing in the dim light and then stillness as they locked eyes, Galen on top of Neil with the blonde's hands fisted in his hair.

"Ready?" he whispered, one hand lazily tracing its way down Neil's collar bone to the center of his chest. In answer the model leaned up off the bed and captured Galen's mouth in another bold kiss. Galen smirked in the dark, moving his hand to trail his hand through Neil's hair which had long since become disheveled. "I guess so."

--

Pam frowned at her hand as she unlocked the door to her house an hour and a half later. No matter how many times she rinsed or how carefully she checked, there always seemed to be a smudge of clay that escaped her scrutiny. But it was almost over. Only twenty statues to go and she could sleep for a month knowing Chronus was finally off her back. She dropped her things by the door and slouched to the kitchen looking for a cool drink before going to bed.

"No rest for the weary," a cheerful voice greeted her as she snapped on the light. Galen handed her a glass of water and guided her to sit at the island before pulling up a chair himself. "I had a busy night myself."

She sighed and took a long sip, feeling slightly refreshed and a little more awake as she listened to the breakdown of Galen's time together with Neil. Their relationship was important to the plan as much as her work, but a part of her didn't really want to know. If she didn't think of Neil as a person so much as another animated statue, Pam thought, she could ignore the consequences of her actions.

"So he's downstairs sleeping right now?" she asked as what he was telling her sunk in. Pam roused herself, standing and putting her empty glass in the sink. Collecting her scattered thoughts, she turned back to Galen, sitting patiently and showing no fatigue despite the hour and what he had supposedly been up to. "Is there anything I need to take care of, then?"

He pulled a small package from his pocket and tossed it to her, offering a sympathetic smile in the process. "I know you're tired but if you could find some spare energy to copy that we should be all set." Galen stood and headed toward the basement door. "And I have someone to get back to."

Pam nodded, looking down at the work ahead of her. "I'll have it done in ten minutes. You can pick it up before morning." She caught his eye before he could completely slip away. "Everything else is up to you, Galen."

Galen waved in acknowledgement and then shut the door behind him, walking down the small flight of stairs carefully in order to make as little noise as he possibly could. The entire basement was dark now, bathed only in what little light from the street outside leaked through several small windows. He found Neil's jacket and checked the pockets again, making sure he hadn't missed anything important that the blonde would need when he woke up. Satisfied, he crept back into the guest room and the figure within.

Neil was spread out on the bed, sheets twisted around his legs, snoring softly. He seemed peaceful and Galen was loath to disturb him but as Pam had said, their situation was in his hands now. Sitting on the edge of the mattress, he leaned in over the model, brushing a few stray strands of hair from his eyes. "You managed what your ancestor couldn't, Neil," he whispered softly, kissing Neil lightly on the mouth. "But all good things come to an end."

--

The sun was filtered into softly dappled patterns on the forest floor, lending a light, calm atmosphere to the clearing. A small, tepid pool covered in shade lay off on one edge of the space and it was toward it that Neil pulled Galen, smiling and flirting the entire way. "It's only fitting," he said, laughing. "And who am I to disagree with my ancestor's taste in venues?"

"Looking at your reflection I understand," Galen replied, "but swimming? Aren't you worried about your hair?" He seemed amused at the enthusiasm as much as at the image of Neil with messy, dripping hair.

"I think I can make the sacrifice, given the circumstances." Neil let go of Galen's arm and ran to the edge of the pond, turning back with his hands on his hips. "Well?" he called. "What are you waiting for?" But his companion was nowhere to be seen. Only gently waving grass and leaves waited for him.

A splash broke behind him and Neil glanced over his shoulder to meet the smile and eyes of himself, bobbing in the water. Galen winked, disappearing beneath the surface. As the ripples faded out across the pond, the water suddenly seemed darker, deeper. Neil's idea for an afternoon swim disappeared from his mind as he searched for some sign of Galen, a trail of bubbles or a disturbance to mark where he was lurking.

His head snapped up when he heard a gasping breath and the trickle of moving water. Galen's head appeared a few meters away from the shore, floating gently but seeming to move slowly even farther away as he smiled and waved. "Coming, Neil" he called. "The water's a bit cold, but wonderful."

"Something doesn't seem right." Neil stared at the dark water that now moved with an invisible current. "Come out and we'll do something else." He tried to sound suggestive but could hear the edge of worry creeping into his voice. "I was wrong about this place," he whispered. "There's nothing good about it anymore."

"Nonsense!" Galen continued to float away from shore. "It's fun, really." As Neil watched, trying to think of a way to express the growing prick of fear in his stomach, the color started to drain from Galen's face. It was slow at first, just a small paling of his flushed cheeks and a darkening of his hair. For a moment, the hero thought it was only a passing shadow or a strange trick of the light. "What's taking so long?" Galen shouted again, and even his voice seemed changed.

Neil knelt on the bank and stretched out his hand. "Come on, we need to go." He reached out hoping futilely that somehow he would be able to take hold of Galen's arm and pull him out.

The worry evident on his face must have been enough to finally convince Galen of his seriousness. He started swimming toward Neil, pushing against the current that surged stronger even as he started to struggle. "I think you're right," he grunted through gritted teeth. "There are plenty of other things to do, anyway." He managed to get closer but the flow from the pond prevented him from getting near enough for Neil to grab him. All of his effort was put into swimming, stopping any attempt at reaching out himself. The moment he stopped, he would be swept away.

"Hang on," Neil said, drawing closer to the edge and stretching out as far as he could. "I can almost reach you."

"Almost isn't good enough, good-looking," Galen said thickly, grabbing hold of Neil's wrist with a grey hand and pulling.

Balance already tenuous, Neil was unable to gain leverage against the sudden, sharp tug and plunged headfirst into the water. A shock of bitter cold robbed his lungs of air as he struggled to right himself and break the surface. Wherever he turned to, however, and started swimming, he couldn't find air. Even hanging suspended, trying to feel the pull of buoyancy that would tell him where up was he couldn't tell where to go. His limbs felt leaden and numb, darkness pressed all around. Lungs burning in spite of the cold, he could do nothing but open his mouth and let the pond swallow him whole.

--

Neil woke with a shuddering gasp, struggling to sit up as his eyes searched the darkness for a way out. Cool hands pressed him back against the bed, holding him down until sleep cleared his mind and he looked up into Galen's concerned face with dazed but clear eyes. "What happened?" he mumbled, wiping sweat from his forehead and passing a hand through his hair.

"You had a nightmare. Everything okay now?"

"I think so," he nodded. "I can't remember it." Neil rubbed his eyes with both eyes, yawning slightly. "And I'm tired but I don't think I'll be getting anymore sleep tonight."

Galen settled down beside him and ducked in to kiss Neil's cheek fondly. "In that case, can I make a suggestion for something to pass the time?"

--

Friday morning rolled around with an early sunrise and the dread of one more school day before the weekend. The dorm slowly came to life with Herry the first to appear and lift some lightweights in his daily routine to keep fit and tough to fight whatever nasty thing was bound to eventually come their way. Atlanta wished him a good morning and left for a run with Jay walking trance-like to the kitchen island where he proceeded to sit for a good ten minutes staring into space with the occasional yawn.

Theresa cursed her alarm clock silently when she finally emerged from her room, hoping to sneak into the bathroom for a shower before the resident prince managed to use up all the hot water in an unnecessary forty-five minute shower; an hour if Neil decided to get up early. She nearly kicked the door when she found it closed and locked, the telltale humming of the blonde wafting through the wood as he no doubt combed his wet hair perfectly into place. When the door swung open seconds later and released no rolling cloud of steam or an individual clothed only in a loose towel, she was puzzled.

"You didn't have a shower?" she asked, some part of her mind wondering a bit irrationally if maybe he had been in there so long that all the steam had cool or been blown away by the small whirring fan in the corner.

He looked over her rumpled pajamas and slightly frizzed hair and smirked. "No, but you certainly seem to need one." With great exaggeration and show, Neil stepped aside and offered the washroom to her. "For you, dear lady."

But she wouldn't let it go. Either it was her mind still wired to the frequency of sleep or some deeper intuition that attached her focus to this tiny discrepancy like a lifeline. "You always shower before school," she said, tiling her head as if seeing him from a different angle would explain everything.

"Yes, but after getting a bunch of clay dust in my hair from art class I've decided to wait until later to have it. Today's the last day for modeling so it's no big deal." He shrugged and adjusted his wrist bands. "Enjoy your shower," he said, giving her a little wave as he headed for the kitchen.

Theresa stared after him a moment and then quickly locked herself in the bathroom for a rare hot shower.


	8. Bad Timing

I can't really think of much to say except thanks for the reviews and cash registers should all be made the same, or come with a set of instructions if they're different from standard. I seriously don't like the percent off set up that the register I work on has.

So far the inspiration's going strong with reviews and art making me a happy writer, so updates should continue along at a good pace for the next while. I just need to make it to Monday night/Tuesday, and I'll have all the time in the world for two days to write. I'm looking forward to it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Class of the Titans. If I did, the opening credits for the heroes would feature Atlanta as the descendent of Atalanta, not Artemis. It's completely obvious that she's meant to be related to the mortal runner, not a goddess known for being extremely chaste.

---

**Bad Timing**

---

Neil was the first one to leave the dorm and head to school, promising cheerfully to see them after school in the janitor's closet for whatever exercises Hera was planning for them. He whistled as he walked, swinging his bag and flashing smiles to the other students he passed along the way. At the main doors he met Pam who offered a tired smile in response to his bright one and handed him a small bag as they entered the school.

"You're all right, aren't you?" she asked, leading the way through the halls to the art room. She fished out a small silver key and unlocked the door, ushering him in before making sure the corridor was empty and slipping in herself. Once the door was closed again, she locked it.

He brushed invisible lint from his shoulders and examined his nails. "I admit it was rough having to sit through it, but I persevered."

She hid a smile in her sleeve, guiding Neil to the back alcove and her work. "You're quite perfect," Pam said as she helped him up onto a small platform and moved his arms until they were in the right position. "I'm a bit impressed."

"Of course I'm perfect," he said haughtily. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Once he was in the right position, she fetched some clay and a bucket of water, sitting behind her work board with a sigh. "Once we're done here, I'll only see you in art class and then, well, you're on your own." The statue forming under the ministrations of her fingers was limp, sad. Pam glanced up at Neil through her bangs and asked softly, "Did you see him?"

"Don't worry," he assured her, ignoring the question. "It's almost over."

--

"Hey guys," Odie said, plunking himself down with a tray of food in the cafeteria next to the others. "Having as much fun today as I am?" He tucked into a tuna salad sandwich and patted the bag at his side that contained his computer. "They finally let me take a look into upgrading the school computers."

Jay patted him on the shoulder. "That's great Odie." He took a bite of his own meal. "I don't think Math quite measures up to that but at least someone's into the ordinary high school thing. It doesn't really measure up to what we do after school, though, does it?"

"Of course not," Atlanta said. "The closest we ever get is probably in English." She groaned as a sudden thought struck her. "And I have an essay due next week." With hurried apologies and goodbyes, she gathered her things, half a sandwich and sped off toward the library for some quick research before the weekend.

Archie watched her go, only turning back to his tray when Atlanta had completely left the room. "Wouldn't it be nice if we could be excused on the basis of needing to save the world all the time?" he mused. "I know a few classes where it would come in handy."

"Has anyone seen Neil since this morning?" Theresa asked suddenly, looking up from her macaroni. "He was going to talk to the girl who gave him the melting flower, right?" She kept her strange morning conversation with the blonde to herself, still uncertain if it meant anything or if she was just blowing something out of proportion. His reason had certainly seemed valid enough.

As the faces around the table all shook their heads, Odie broke in, "Well, he has art after lunch and the room is on the way to my Physics class. I'll swing by and see if he's found out anything new, and then we can fill you and Miss Hera in on it later." He shrugged casually. "I'm ahead in my class anyway, so I can always use the time to think about what it all means." He received a nod from Jay, and everyone turned back to their meals and happier topics of conversation, such as what Herry might be planning for his turn as strategist that afternoon.

--

Neil felt completely exhausted and more than just a little stiff as he lay stretched out on the bed, staring hazily at the ceiling. But no matter how tired his body was, and it was a strangely delicious sense of fatigue, his mind would not let go and let him fall asleep. So he lay in a sort of doze, not terribly coherent or aware of his surroundings but not gone to the realm of the unconscious. It was a strange sensation, and although he wanted to drift off and regain some of his energy, he reveled in the feeling, knowing what had happened to make him reach this state.

"You must be getting hungry by now. It's almost one o'clock, you know," Galen's distant voice broke into his thoughts. It brought a warm glow along with it and for a moment Neil just basked in the feeling before lazily rolling his head to meet his own gaze. Galen chuckled. "Since you look so relaxed, what say I go upstairs and see what's lying around in the fridge?" He leaned in and captured Neil's swollen lips in a tingling kiss before extracting himself from the sheets, grabbing a stray pair of pants and heading for the door.

"Nothing rich," Neil called after him with a yawn. He attempted to adjust his position with floppy arms but stopped when a twinge of pain reminded him just what he had been up to most of the night. A dopey smile lit up his features as he considered that out of all the aspiring couples and romantic situations he knew and had run into being a modern hero, _he_ was the one who had gotten anywhere first.

_Poor Jay and Theresa_, he thought to himself smugly. _I would have thought they'd be more perceptive._ He laughed airily as another pair of faces came to mind. _Archie and Atlanta. I wonder if that will ever work out, giving her ancestor's distaste for men. Maybe he should try beating her in a race sometime. That might help_. Neil had taken the time to read up on some of the mythology behind their adventures while waiting between photo shoots, so that he wouldn't appear totally clueless every time something new popped up. _And Odie with his nymph_, he mused. _I'd like to see how that turns out_.

The creaking of stairs brought his wandering mind back to reality as Galen appeared in the doorway with a plate of food and a glass of water. "I hope you don't mind some leftover spaghetti," he said, settling himself back onto the bed.

"Sounds good," Neil replied, ignoring his sore body in order to pull himself into a sitting upright. He reached for the plate and nestled it in his lap but his attempt for the glass of water was off as he was suddenly taken by a large yawn. It slipped from both their hands, dumping itself onto Galen with a quiet splash. "I'm sorry," he said, staring down at Galen's wet stomach and pants.

"No problem," was the response as Galen stood, searching for something that could be used to dry himself off. He found a box of tissue and took several, dabbing at his skin carefully. As Neil watched he saw what almost looked like makeup coming off on the Kleenex, a patch of grey being exposed underneath. Galen caught his eye and winked. "It's just a little cosmetic problem," he assured the blonde. He stripped off the black pants and continued drying. A few moments later and he was as good as new, slipping back into bed beside Neil with not a speck of grey on him. "I'll get you something else to drink when you're done."

Neil nodded a little sheepishly and tucked into the meal before him as Galen watched. Halfway through, his head suddenly snapped up as he realized something. "Did you say it was one?" he asked. "That means I missed school." Hera, not to mention his family, was going to kill him.

"Don't worry about it. I called your friends and told them that you had a late night at a friend's and that you didn't think you'd be coming in today. Jay, I think it was, said he'd take care of it, but I don't think he was very happy." Galen smiled apologetically. "So I'm afraid you might get a bit of a lecture later."

Relieved, Neil shrugged. "Why not? It's worth it for your methods of cheering a person up." He blushed and mumbled, "Thank you."

Galen tilted Neil's face toward him and kissed him hard. "Anytime," he said as he broke away to put the unfinished plate of food on a nearby table. It was about to be forgotten.

--

The lunch bell rang just as Odie finished his sandwich. He had been struck by a few ideas for some new gadgets not long after sitting down and had gotten lost in typing up notes and specifications for them on his laptop. By the time he'd gotten back to his lunch, the break was almost over and the conversation had switched to talk of upcoming tests in their regular lives. Apparently, Jay had to battle the dreaded Transformations beast in Math next Wednesday.

He packed up his computer, waved a temporary farewell to the others and left the cafeteria, heading to his Physics class and the art room along the way. The teacher for the class he was about to visit, a woman Odie knew only by her reputation as a free-spirit and the occasional glimpse in the library when she was there to sign out reference books, swept past him in the hall, a gaggle of students trailing behind her. As Neil's face was not among them, he continued on to the room, sticking his head inside. It was empty, as he had been led to expect. But as Odie was about to skirt off to avoid being late himself, figuring he had just missed Neil in the crowd, a familiar laugh caught his attention.

"Neil?" he called, stepping inside the room. There was a moment of silence and then the blonde appeared, dusting his hands off. "You're not going to wherever it is that your class went?" Odie wondered now that he had confirmed Neil's absence from the other students.

"They're going to sketch things outside in charcoal." The model suppressed a shudder. "No way would I go anywhere that grass could stain my beautiful clothes, let alone where charcoal could have its dirty way with me." He have Odie a look. "It's simply unthinkable."

Odie only smiled. "But with fighting Chronus, I would've thought at least one article of clothing had met with some unfortunate speck of dust." Even if it was only a handkerchief or a sock.

"Yeah, but those were sacrifices for the greater good and all that. Rolling around outside is hardly necessary."

"I see," said Odie, trying not to roll his eyes. "I just stopped by to ask if you'd found out anything in regards to the melting flower. Any luck?"

As if on cure, a girl with short brown hair and what appeared to be a well-used art apron stepped out from the cluttered back area, holding her hands in much the way a surgeon would before an operation. Noticing the glisten of slip on her fingers, Odie could understand why. "Neil," she asked, "Who's your friend?"

Odie held up a hand in greeting. "Hi," he said. "I'm Odie. Just seeing how things are going with Neil."

"About the flower, Pam here is the one who gave it to me," Neil cut in. Pam, beside him, seemed a bit startled but quickly turned it into a shy smile. "It turns out she was in my art class the entire time. Neat, huh?"

"Uh, yeah." Pam brushed her bangs from her eyes with the back of her hand. "It was a gift," she said, thinking quickly. "In the hopes that Neil would agree to model for me." She seemed to remember something. "Did you say it melted?" she asked.

Odie nodded. "I'm afraid so. Another friend of ours thought it was real and put it in some water. It didn't last long after that."

"Oh, that's too bad. I'll have to make another one sometime soon." Pam nudged Neil with an elbow. "But right now, we need to get back to work. I don't have much time left to finish my project."

The descendant of Odysseus nodded, needing to get to his own class anyway. He had other questions, such as why the flower had been unfired and how she had made it so realistic, but he figured they could wait, or that Neil was already in the process of interrogating her. "Sure," he said. "I'll see you after school, Neil." He turned to go but the exit was blocked by the last person he wanted to see.

"Nonsense," admonished Chronus, miniature scythe in hand. "You can't leave now. Not when things are going so well."


	9. Mind Games

Lots of thanks to everyone again for all the great reviews. I'm really quite a happy camper. It's been interesting to watch the theories take shape as everyone tries to figure out what's going on. Some think ill thoughts, others hope for happiness, and a third bunch just puzzle it out as they go along. It's almost time for the big reveal, so answers will be coming soon.

Quick comment about the Artemis/Atalanta disclaimer and debate: In all of the mythology that I've read and know of, Artemis never, ever has relations with a guy in any form. She punishes people who see her naked, and outcasts her followers who have lost their virginity. Therefore, it's pretty much impossible for Atlanta to be her descendent, or Atalanta. The runner/huntress is a much better fit. She gets married, at least. At any rate, this is just my opinion/interpretation.

Lost Experiment, faithful reviewer and brilliant artist, is starting up a story of her own. I suggest you hop over and take a peek, because it really is something. Frankly, I think it puts my writing style to shame. Go see for yourselves.

Disclaimer: I do not own Class of the Titans. If I did, more of the pantheon would make appearances. I'm still waiting to see Demeter, since Persephone is running around. And what about Hestia? Sure she's obscure, but if Hercules can be an important god, then so can the goddess of the hearth. I'm also interested in seeing some sort of interaction between Hercules and his wife, Hebe.

---

**Mind Games**

---

Odie was roughly dragged to the back of the room by Chronus and forced up against a wall in a corner, out of sight of the door. The Titan grabbed a crude human-shaped lump of clay resting on a nearby table and dropped it at the hero's feet. "I'm afraid I need to give you a bit of a setback, Pamela," he said. "I hope you don't mind too much." With a blast of his godly power, the clay expanded and hardened, effectively gluing Odie in place.

"Neil," Odie shouted, "run!" But the blonde only smiled from where he stood next to the frowning sculptor.

"Why?" he asked. "I'm not the one with bad timing."

Odie stopped struggling to free himself and stared at his friend. "What?" He couldn't believe it. "You're siding with Chronus?"

Neil shrugged. "Something like that, I guess. He has connections, Odie. Big ones." He stepped closer, dropping his voice conspiratorially. "You know what it's like, having power. Why not give up all this prophecy stuff and have some fun?"

"No!" the thinker shouted, and, "never!"

"Suit yourself, Odie. It's really too bad."

"Yes, it is," Chronus agreed. "But I suppose it's to be expected." He made a sour face. "Though it would have taken a great deal of time for me to trust you again, after the caduceus disaster. Still," he mused, "I might have spared your life if you had said yes."

Odie only glared at him. "What makes you think Neil isn't another Trojan Horse?" he asked, hoping to see some sign that the blonde was only pretending. "He could be doing the same thing I did, trying to gain your favor until he finally betrays you."

"But Odie," Neil said simply, "I'm not."

Chronus smiled. "You see? Neil is smarter than even you, with the witty Odysseus as your ancestor." He put an arm around Neil's shoulders. "He knows which side is the winning one."

"I hate to interrupt," Pam's quiet voice interjected, "but I'm not done the statues yet and you're in my work space." She was frowning at her hands, now covered in dry, cracked clay, and avoiding everyone's eyes.

"About your work, my dear," Chronus said, turning to her. "With this little interruption, I'd like to add something to my commission." He pointed squarely at Odie, who flinched. "Copy him, and soon. He's sure to be running off with the others later, and I want his duplicate ready to take his place and keep suspicion down."

Pam mumbled a soft, "Yes, sir," and went to find fresh materials.

The Titan cast one more smug grin in Odie's direction before turning to Neil, who was looking idly around the room. "I trust you'll take up the slack if there are any problems?"

Neil pulled himself to attention, giving Chronus a stiff, mocking salute. "Of course, sir," he said, in an attempt to imitate Pam.

"I think you were made too well," Chronus muttered under his breath and vanished.

--

Galen dumped the remains of lunch in the garbage with a small smile and then set about washing the dishes. As he put the plate and glass away in a cupboard, he noticed the small bundle he had given Pam during the night sitting on the counter. He had forgotten all about it. Grabbing it, he returned downstairs to the basement and set about replacing it in Neil's jacket pocket. Then, he returned to the bedroom.

Inside, Neil had fallen asleep again at last. Galen had been wondering when exhaustion would overpower whatever subconscious warning that kept him awake. He settled in beside the blonde and pulled Neil up so that he was being cradled. Aside from a slight snort, Neil showed no signs of waking up.

According to some psychologists, Galen knew, dreams could be influence by real-world events in strange ways. It was even possible, some said, to provoke specific dreams or to probe the unconscious mind while the subject was asleep. Galen wasn't interested in learning and deep dark secrets, for he was fairly certain he already knew the ones that counted, but rather in shaping the dreams Neil was experiencing; dreams that would leave him unsettled and as tired as ever when he woke up.

He ran his fingers lazily through Neil's hair, considering what he knew and what to say. There was definitely an underlying issue with self-confidence in the heroics department, and this was mostly because of a team with members that could do extraordinary things and didn't really realize what an asset looks and luck could be.

"Neil," he whispered softly into the model's ear, eliciting a soft sigh. "Think about your friends, Neil. They're only humoring you, aren't they?" They don't really need you, don't want you hanging around and getting in the way." Galen continued to pet Neil's hair even as they hero's face changed into a sleepy frown. "The only one you can trust is yourself," he said, holding him. "Trust me."

--

Neil looked around, suddenly standing on a grassy hill overlooking the sea. Along the shore, off in the distance, were a line of ships waiting to set sail. One had a broken mast, another with glimmering decks made of gold. A third had a black sail, and the last of the fleet seemed hardly fit to cast off let alone voyage anywhere. He wondered what sort of people would be traveling on them, especially the ship of gold. A small, inner part of him hoped he was lucky enough.

Voices from behind caused Neil to turn and search for their source, looking off down the hill. A group of armor-clad soldiers approached, stopping when they caught sight of him. They conferred momentarily amongst themselves, and then slowly drew closer.

"Narcissus," the lead figure called, his voice familiar. "We didn't think we'd see you again. Not here at least." As he approached, the warrior removed his helmet. Neil took a step back in surprise.

"Jay?" he said, confused. As he looked across the faces of the rest of the group, he realized all his friends were there, just dressed differently. "Archie? Herry?"

Jay shared a glance with Theresa, who had shorter hair and a helmet of her own tucked under one arm. "I told you," he said slowly, "to call me by my full name. Jason. It doesn't really help my image if I go around as 'Jay.'"

"Yeah, buddy," Archie agreed. "Those names might've been fine when we were kids growing up together, but now, it's just Achilles." He gestured to the others. "Hercules, Theseus, Atalanta, and Odysseus. No one else."

Neil looked them over, noting the breastplates, greaves and swords Jay, Odie and Theresa now sported. Archie held a long black spear while Atlanta carried a longbow and Herry wore a club through his belt. "I don't understand," he said, shaking his head. He looked down at himself, noticing for the first time the toga and sandals he himself was wearing.

Jay put a hand on Neil's shoulder sympathetically. "I know it's hard to let go of the past, but it's time to move on. We all have bigger things to worry about."

They slowly passed him by, walking down the hill toward the waiting ships. Neil trailed after them, trying to understand what he was seeing and hearing. "Can I come with you?" he blurted out as they reached the beach. "I can help you be heroes."

"Hardly," Atlanta scoffed. "There's no way you'll be any use searching for the Golden Fleece." Hand on her hip, she glanced at Odie. "Or navigating, or anything else we have to do. You're better off staying here, Narcissus. There's a nice pond back the way we came."

"Really," Neil protested, ignoring her. "I can help. I know some things about the Minotaur." He glanced at Theresa. "I've even fought one before."

They all exchanged a skeptical look that clearly said they didn't believe him. "All right," Theresa said at last. "Because we're friends, it's the least we can do."

"Then you take him." Herry pushed Neil toward her. "Since you're so nice."

"I couldn't. He'll be in too much danger." She nudged Neil off toward another one of the group. "Jason?"

The leader held Neil by the shoulders, looking between him, Herry, and Atlanta. "My crew his full," he said quickly. "Orpheus took the last free spot this morning. Sorry." He pushed Neil to Odie. "Your ship's a little empty, Odysseus. What about you?"

Odie stumbled back a few paces as Neil bumped into him, adjusting his shield and glasses afterward. "I wouldn't want him to be cursed by Poseidon or anything. I've already been traveling for five years."

Theresa laughed, a touch embarrassed. "Yeah," she said. "Dad can be a little cranky and unreasonable sometimes."

"Well don't look at me." Archie held his spear in front of him, warding off any attempt at pushing Neil in his direction. "I'm going to war. He wouldn't last a day against the walls of Troy."

"Sorry, Narcissus. We would take you if we could, but we can't." Jay clapped him on the arm and then headed for the golden ship, Herry and Atlanta trailing behind him, glancing back at Neil a final time. "Maybe some other time, you know?" Jay called over the rush of waves.

Theresa kissed his cheek apologetically and Odie shook his hand. They turned for the ships with black sails and broken mast respectively, wishing him fond farewells. Archie merely shrugged before sprinting off to the last boat.

Neil watched them go, a thousand reasons why he would be an asset crowding his mind but none of them sounding very convincing. He watched until the ships vanished from the horizon and the sun set, casting him in darkness. "But I'm lucky," he whispered, even though he didn't really feel that way anymore.

--

"Whatever Chronus promised you, it's a lie." Odie was crouched, examining the clay that held his feet in place. If there was a way to break free, he intended to find it. "The people who work with him never get what they want." He remembered Arachne, as one example, being transformed back into a spider on a technicality.

Pam glanced up at him, frowned, and looked back at her work. Odie had realized soon after Chronus left, as she closely examined his face and clothes, that she was intent on sculpting him. "I don't think you know what you're talking about," she said, trying to get his hair right. "You worked with him and had everything you wanted until you betrayed him. I'm not like that. I do what I'm asked to do."

"But he'll keep asking for more and more, getting you to do all sorts of things without really giving you anything in return." He straightened up, his inspection giving him nothing. "Whatever he's got on you, it can't be worth ending the world."

"You're wrong," Pam said, meeting his eyes. "I'm doing exactly what I have to in order to get what I want." Her eyes seemed to shimmer for a moment and she swiped at them with the back of her hand. "There's no other way," she said softly.

"There's always another way. My friends and I, we could help you. We do have experience with this sort of thing." _And_, Odie thought, _it would be a whole lot easier if you helped us instead of forcing us to take you down with Chronus_. "Just let me go. Please."

For a moment, Pam seemed almost tempted to take him up on his offer. "But Neil," she said, and then caught herself. The blonde had left not long ago, off to his next class. "I've come too far to lose everything now." She broke off a lump of clay and stood, walking over to Odie. "Just… stop talking." She divided the lump in two, mashing one over Odie's mouth and using the other to stick one of his arms to the wall. Both pieces hardened immediately. She snatched the PMR from his belt and returned to her seat, any hint of regret carefully covered up.

Odie's eyes widened as he tried to pry off the gag with his free hand, but it wouldn't budge. A search of his pockets turned up nothing that could help him chip away at his bonds except the medallion used to open the janitor's closet. He decided it would have to do and vowed to get to work as soon as he was alone, although he would wait on the one covering his mouth. Pam looked up at him impassively and he quickly glanced up at her.

"I just have to finish. Be a good model and hold still."


	10. Time's Up

I still seem to be going strong, and it's all thanks to great support. Thanks a bunch for the continuing reviews. I'm all warm and fuzzy inside.

There's not much to really say this time around. I hope you enjoy where things are going.

Disclaimer: I do not own Class of the Titans. If I did, the relationships between Atlanta and Archie and Jay and Theresa would get a little more attention than just clumsy hinting. Someone would have figured things out by now.

---

**Time's Up**

---

Odie stared into his own blinking eyes with a mixture of shock and fascination. Had he not been trapped, forced to watch as his double took shape, grew and at last seemed to breathe with a life of its own, he wouldn't have believed his own eyes. Even being witness to all the steps, Odie still wasn't sure if what he was seeing was possible. It was too surreal, too dream-like.

Catching his expression, Pam muttered, "Pygmalion," and pointed to herself by way of explanation. She had already turned back to sculpting, paying little attention to her captive. The only time she seemed to even notice if he was there was when he moved.

"Kind of neat, isn't it?" the other Odie asked, holding a scrap of fabric between his fingers that had been snipped from the true hero's clothes. When there was no response, the doubly shrugged. "I'm pretty sure you would appreciate it more in a different situation." He tucked the cloth away in a pocket and snatched up Odie's computer bag. "Catch you later," he said, and vanished out the door.

Statue Odie headed to the janitor's closet as the final bell rung. He tired the door and finding it locked, assumed the key to open it lay back with his living counterpart. As there was no time to head back and no guarantee he would find the key, he waited for others of the group to appear, excuses already forming in his mind. When Jay and Atlanta arrived, he was wearing a sheepish smile.

"Hey guys," he said. "I seem to have left my key back at the dorm." At the twin looks of surprise, he raised his hands in defense. I know, I know, it was careless of me. But I was just so preoccupied with school, it totally slipped my mind."

Atlanta slid her medallion in place. "You shouldn't let computers mess up your head too much, Odie."

He nodded, following them inside. "It won't happen again. I promise."

The others were already waiting in the practice gym with Ares. Herry stood behind him, mumbling something to himself and keeping a tally with his fingers. As Jay, Atlanta and Odie joined them, Ares clapped his hands for attention, resting one on Herry's shoulder.

"Herry here is up for team strategist today and he has some good ideas." The God of War frowned slightly, obviously finding it hard to believe. But he soon brightened. "But Archie will have better ones, I'm sure. He's also taking a turn today, since you have the weekend off."

Archie could have smacked himself. "Ares," he groaned, "cut it out." The god merely shrugged and took his place as observer at the side. A video camera hummed beside him, compliments of Hermes.

"Okay guys, it's going to be a simple game of capture the flag with a twist." Herry held up six red blindfolds with a grin. As he passed them out, he explained the purpose of his exercise. "These aren't for your eyes, but your mouths. It's a matter of seeing if you can communicate with your team in ways other than words."

"Well," Atlanta said, accepting hers, "at least we won't argue."

Herry nodded. "Yeah. Hopefully." He began separating them into groups of three. "Jay, Neil and Atlanta against Theresa, Odie and Archie," he said handing each team a flag. "You have twenty minutes to get the flag."

"Do we get time to talk things over first?" Archie asked.

"Nope. Gags on and go." Herry took his place behind the camera, ready to capture every moment on film. "Whenever you're ready, guys."

They tied on the strips of cloth and one person on each side secured the flags at opposite ends of the gym. Jay beckoned Neil and Atlanta over to him and they huddled together. Through a long process of gesturing, pointing and miming, he explained a plan to draw their attention to Atlanta while Neil snuck in to snatch the prize. He would stay as guard.

On the other side, Archie and Theresa both seemed to have ideas as to what they should do, while Odie stood by, idly watching the other group, having no bright ideas himself. In a shrug of frustration, Archie turned away, intent on enacting his plan with or without help. Theresa threw her hands up in defeat and settled into a defensive stance. Odie drifted behind them both.

With a decisive forward wave from Jay, Atlanta was off, charging boldly ahead. Archie abandoned his tactics to meet her while Theresa eyed Neil, who wandered closer. Jay and Odie held their ground, eying each other and their teammates. Herry made sure to get it all.

--

"Man, am I ever exhausted," Atlanta moaned, rubbing her shoulders and holding back a well-timed yawn. "Archie, as useful as your ideas could be, I really hope we never have to use them." She stepped out of the closet, followed by the others, who echoed their own lazy sentiment. Only Odie remained silent, watching the empty hallways carefully.

Jay patted the warrior on the back. "You really have a knack for thinking outside the box. I don't think Herry or Neil will ever smell quite the same again." He was about to say more but a figure stepping out from a dark classroom caught his attention. The group drew up short. "Anyone know who else would be here this late?" Jay asked quietly.

The person turned toward them, reaching a hand back into the room to snap on the lights. As the bright square of lights lit him up, he raised an arm to wave. "Hey," he said, though with a voice different from the one they'd expected. Neil smiled benignly at them as they stared.

In the fashion most often seen in old comedy, Herry looked back and forth between the Neil standing next to him and the one in the doorway, mouth agape. "What?" His brow wrinkled in confusion. "How is this possible?" he asked. His eyes widened further when a second Neil stepped from the room, blinking, just as dumbfounded as they were. "Someone tell me what's going on."

"Hey, don't look at me," the Neil of the group said, hands up in defense as eyes turned to him a second time. "I'm very flattered, but I don't know any more than you."

"I think you do." In Theresa's eyes, it was as if everything suddenly made some bizarre sort of sense. She was still missing a few puzzle pieces, such as why there were three when one would have been enough, but she left that to sort out later. "You've been acting funny, and at first I thought I was just seeing something that wasn't there, but now…" She gestured to the other two. "Where's Neil? The real one."

The two standing before them started laughing quite suddenly, causing more than one hero to jump in surprise. "If it's Neil you want," the first one said, walking toward them, "you're in luck. You can have your pick."

In a twisted parody of the circus clown car, Neil after Neil stepped into the hall, smiling a familiar grin that now seemed eerie and unnatural. The one they had believe to be their friend joined the ranks, becoming just another face in the crowd. When Jay shouted for them to turn and run, to regroup and figure things out before acting rashly, several more copies blocked their escape, hemming them in quite effectively.

"What do we do?" Archie asked, his eyes darting over faces that were exactly the same. "Do we fight… them?" His face scrunched up into a grimace. "What are they, anyway?"

A deep, gloating chuckle washed over them. "Why, my army of course." The Neils parted and Chronus appeared, strolling casually down the hall as if he owned them. "I admit, not my first choice, but inspiring all the same. Don't you agree?"

"Chronus," Jay growled, reaching for his sword. "What have you done with Neil?"

The Titan sighed. He was never allowed to savor the moment. "I've multiplied him, obviously. We struck a deal, not unlike one I've made before with another of your members. Only this time, it's not a ruse." He patted the closest copy warmly on the shoulder. "Face it Jay. You're not seven anymore, and that means I win."

"Not yet." The leader turned his attention back to his team. He lowered his voice so as to keep his question from the god, asking, "Is there any way to tell which one is real, or if they all are? Odie?"

Odie shrugged. "Why should I care?"

"Uh, because he's your friend and without him the world will end. How about that?"

"Sorry, not motivating enough." Odie shouldered his way past Herry and Theresa, moving to stand with Chronus' so-called army. "You really ought to keep an eye on your team, Jay. They slip between your fingers far too easily."

Stunned, Jay could only stare at him, mind wheeling. Was _everyone_ some strange doppelganger? He looked over the others, seeing that similar thoughts were playing in their minds, judging by tight mouths and quick darting eyes. _No_, he thought, shaking himself mentally, _we can't afford to fall apart by not trusting each other._

"Stick together," Jay said aloud, sword snapping to full length in his hand. "We can't let him get inside our heads. If we do, we're dead." He considered the figures surrounding them, mind shifting into battle quickness. "We fight," he decided.

Theresa turned to him, worry in her eyes. "But what about Neil?"

"If he's turned on us, we have no choice anyway. If he hasn't the only way to figure this out and get him back – get both him and Odie back – is to force our way out of here." He shook his head, unhappy with the options left to him but seeing no other way. "We have to fight."

Archie and Atlanta shared a glance, weighing their own silent thoughts against what Jay was saying. "We're with you," Archie said and Atlanta nodded. "Just give the word."

Herry flashed Jay a quick grin, one fist pounding into the other. "Yeah, me too."

"What are you whispering about?" Chronus demanded, growing impatient. They were supposed to be cowering in fear, or at least doubting each other. "There's no way out."

Jay gripped his sword tightly. "Don't count on it, Chronus," he said grimly, and then, "Now!" As one, they surged away from Chronus, aiming to put as much distance between themselves and the Titan as possible.

They met the wall of smirking, waiting blondes head on.

--

Inside the art room, Pam leaned back in her chair and exhaled a long breath of air. She was finally finished, and it wouldn't be long before she'd get her due. Wiping her hands absently on her apron, she stood and looked her captive over. Odie was crouched, hand handing above his head awkwardly as he once more examined his creative restraints.

Pam cleared her throat and he jerked his head up, an exclamation of surprise muffled by his gag.

"If I let you go," she asked quietly, "will you keep me out of this?"

Odie could not nod his head fast enough. She fetched a wooden mallet and a large chisel. With a quiet word from her, Odie stood as still as he could. Pam deftly chipped through the manacle on his wrist and then bent to dig out his feet with precise tap-tapping work. Soon, he was rubbing feeling back into his cramped toes.

"Good luck," she said, a touch ironically, as Odie skidded out the door and straight into the thick of things.


	11. Trapped

A reviewer expressed some concern that this fic might be suddenly put on hold. I think I can safely say that this won't happen, considering just about any time I have a spare moment, I'm writing or planning something. And the constant support I'm getting (thanks, thanks, thanks!) inspires new ideas. Already a few things have worked their way in that were not originally planned, and so much the better.

Disclaimer: I don't own Class of the Titans. If I did, the gods would take a slightly more active role against Chronus, where appropriate. Hermes and Hera have already left the janitor's closet, so why not others? And for a bunch of immortals that fought three wars, including one against Chronus, they sure seem to have fallen a long way. Darn fast food.

---

**Trapped**

---

Neil crawled slowly into wakefulness, a shrill ringing sound tugging him away from his dreams. A vague sort of unsettled feeling hovered in the pit of his stomach and he frowned at the scattered, fading images of sailing ships and sympathetic eyes that clouded his mind. He shifted, eyes too heavy to open, the weight of sleep not yet releasing its hold on him. Drifting in and out of focused concentration, he listened numbly as a hushed voice, his voice, answered the ring.

"So it's started?" the voice asked quietly. "Yes, I've got him occupied." Neil imagined himself drifting on a quaint little raft, soaking up the sun on a lazy voyage to some distant, unknown land. His mind bobbing, he nearly missed the mention of his name. "Neil will break," the voice promised. "And then your prophecy will, too."

Before Neil's hazy mind could begin to fathom the meaning behind the words – break? Was the person talking about his mirror? Where had he put it, anyway? – exhaustion tugged him down into an inky black void once more. He was only distantly aware of fingers sliding pleasantly through his hair, across his cheek, and the soft, smooth voice asking him whether he could always count on his friends, or if maybe one day they would stop caring, stop rescuing him. As he plunged into inviting blackness, Neil began to wonder himself.

--

Herry only hesitated an instant before lowering his shoulder and plowing through the closest bunch of Neils like a freight train. They laughed as they fell to the sides, hands reaching out to clutch at the ankles of Jay and Archie, who were running close behind. One managed to graze the warrior's braced heel, causing him to yelp in pain and stumble toward an outstretched pair of arms marked by black and white bands. Atlanta was barely able to grab the back of his sweatshirt and tug him, tumbling, into her embrace instead.

"Thanks," he said, wincing as he put weight on his foot. "I'm fine now, I think."

She rolled her eyes at his need to be macho, even when surrounded by smiling, grabbing faces. "Here, lean on me." She pulled his arm around her shoulders and took some weight, hurrying along after Jay and Herry, who had paused to let them catch up. In all the excitement, she missed the faint wash of pink that settled over Archie's cheeks.

Theresa brought up the rear, using her weapon of choice to stall any pursuit and keep those that had already fallen, down. "Keep moving," she called, ducking an errant grab and swiping at that Neil's legs with a swift kick. "Find a place we can defend."

"Oh, I don't think I'll make it that easy for you." Chronus' laugh boomed over all the confusion. "Boys, why don't you show them some of your tricks?"

A shout from Herry stopped everything short. Theresa bumped into Jay and turned, watching with wide eyes as what at first glance appeared to be grey snakes coiled around Herry's arms and waist, pinning him in place. He struggled, flexing his incredible strength, but was unable to break free. His bonds merely stretched with him and increased, bogging him down.

"I don't believe it," Atlanta gasped, pointing with her free hand. "They're _arms_. You can see the hands, down by his knees." Sure enough, as the other heroes looked, they spotted grey fingers, clasping the coils tightly.

"But how?" Jay asked, raising his xiphos. He charged, cutting away at the slithering arms as carefully as he could. The Neils smirked around him, grabbing at him with every stroke. As a severed grey chunk flew past, something suddenly clicked. "They're made of clay," he said, but quickly broke off on anything more he might have said as a severed hand grabbed his ankle.

The others weren't fairing much better, barely able to keep themselves clear of grey, snaking fingers as they stood, back to back. Theresa's nunchucks flashed almost as quickly as Archie's whip, while Atlanta was forced to bat away advances with her bare hands. Around them, a small pile of missing pieces and broken chunks was collecting, evidence of their skill.

"Guys," Jay shouted, trying to wrench himself away from several Neils. His sword lay abandoned a few meters away, useless. Herry was no more than a head beside him, looking on helplessly. "A little help."

Archie gritted his teeth, snapping his whip again and again. "We're a little busy," he said tersely. He winced and sucked a sharp breath of air in through his teeth as he shifted his balance and ended up putting weight on his injured heel. "Be with you when we can."

"I don't think this is working, Jay," Herry said, surprisingly calm in spite of his situation. "There are too many, and they play dirty." He heaved, once more trying to break free, but only tangling himself further. "Really dirty."

The leader grunted, using his polearm to break free. He glanced apologetically at Herry. "We'll come back for you," he said, looking his friend in the eye. Then, he turned and fought off the Neil currently trying capture Atlanta in a smothering hug. "We have to run."

"Gotcha. I'll meet you guys a couple halls over," Atlanta said, handing Archie over to Jay for support. She sped off, easily avoiding the clumsy attempts at capture thrown her way.

Jay turned to follow her, polearm thrust out in front of him to ward of any attacks, but met with resistance from Archie. "Come on," he said, glancing back. "We need to move quickly.

"I can't." Archie stared down at his feet, covered in clay. He struggled, wincing slightly, but was unable to move them.

Theresa, behind him, was fairing much the same. "Me too," she said, pulling and getting nowhere. "We're stuck,"

--

Odie quickly ducked back into the art room, slamming the door shut immediately and turning the crude deadbolt lock until his fingers went white. _Okay_ he thought, _I'm certainly not going out that way._ His mind was still catching up with the events of the previous few hours. First, he'd watched himself march out the door. Then, a small battalion of Neil copies had sprung to life. Now… now they were apparently at war.

Pam was leaning against the sink counter, watching him. She was still waiting on payment for her services and her patience was beginning to wear a bit thin. "Hey," she called to Odie, "catch." A familiar device left her hands and flew through the air.

Odie caught it, his eyes lighting up with a small, hidden smile. He nodded his thanks and started fiddling with the PMR. With his mouth still gagged, he couldn't contact anyone for help. But, that didn't mean he was totally helpless himself. The small tazer inside crackled to life. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.

"That might immobilize them, but not much else," Pam said to him from across the room. "Most of the statues have had time to dry, so they're pretty resilient. Even to water."

Odie stared at her, the gears turning almost audibly in his head. _Most of them are, but not all_. He turned his eyes to the ceiling, searching for the small silver sprinkler heads that had to be there. A muffled shout of success made it past his gag as he spotted one. Odie quickly dragged a chair over and then set about looking for something to set it off with.

Pam pointed at the teacher's desk huddled along the wall under a wide window. "Ms. Erato usually keeps matches for lighting candles in her desk," she said tonelessly. As Odie crossed the room and searched through the drawers, Pam walked to the chair and climbed on. She motioned for the matches when Odie had them in hand. "I'm taller than you," was her only explanation.

The modern Odysseus watched as she stretched up, holding the burning flame as close as possible to the sprinkler head. It wavered for a moment, caught in an invisible draft, then straightened and nearly touched the silver metal. A second later, it started raining.

They stared at each other, getting soaked by the spray. Pam slowly slid until she was sitting in the chair, pushing wet hair out of her eyes. "Well," she said at last. "That was kind of fun. But I think I may have overdone it." She looked down at the water pooling at her feet, then up at Odie, fixing him with a hard stare. "That's all I'll do, understand?" Her eyes dropped again. "My conscience is clear now," she mumbled.

--

Chronus glanced up at the ceiling in surprise as the sprinklers suddenly came to life. He had to turn his face away, coughing slightly. "A little water won't save you," he shouted down the hall to the struggling teens, believing they had something to do with it. Around him, his army of Neils were quickly losing color. Some were even beginning to sag, features running together in a slick, glistening mess. "What's this?" he asked, sloshing carefully forward. "They're melting?"

"So much for being fifty, huh Boss?" The closest Neil grinned a watery smile, his eyes near his chin. "I guess you need more patience." He started to laugh, and the action bent him double, his torso sliding off to splat on the floor next to his feet. "Oops," he slurred through what was left of his mouth. "My bad."

"Enough," the Titan snapped, waving a hand sharply. The water abruptly stopped pouring down on them. He quickly took stock of his army. It was down by half of the latest copies. Chronus scowled.

Movement down the hall caught his attention. "Pull," Jay was shouting, tugging Archie, trying to pull him out from his sticky prison. "Come on, almost there." Theresa had her hands on the warrior's shoulders, pushing.

With a loud, squelching pop, Archie was set free, stumbling and sliding across a wet floor now slick with slip. In what almost seemed like slow motion, his feet vanished out from under him and he hit the floor with a wet thud, grunting in pain. He glanced up and spotted Chronus moving toward them, his now monochrome army slowly regrouping behind him.

"Jay," he said, struggling to sit up. "Get out of here. We'll meet up with you later." With slippery fingers, Archie started digging out Theresa's feet. "Meet up with Atlanta, find Odie."

The leader, about to help, froze. He matched stares with Chronus for a fleeting second, then turned his head to take stock of what was going on around them. "Okay," he said, backing away. "I'll see you soon." Jay turned and skirted Herry, sloshing carefully down the hall and out of sight. "I'll save you," he vowed to himself. "Don't worry."


	12. Separation Anxiety

Hello, again. Another round of thanks for the reviews. I was surprised today when I checked and found the story has over _seventy_. I'm really quite blown away, and super grateful for all the support.

Green Budgie – You're right, it is silly to talk about wanting the gods to play a bigger part and then not have them do anything when I have the chance. But, the story's not over yet. You just need to wait and see what part they take. Remember, Aphrodite knows what's going on.

Disclaimer: I don't own Class of the Titans. If I did, there would be references to the great poets that Archie claims to have read, that Jay most likely knows of, and that Odie probably researches from time to time. And not just Homer, with _The Illiad_ and _The Odyssey_. Ovid's _Metamorphoses_ and Virgil's _Aeneid_ need a little love, too.

---

**Separation Anxiety**

---

As soon as Jay had vanished around the corner, Theresa bent and slapped Archie's hands away. "Not me," she said. "Help Herry." The warrior shot her a surprised, slightly indignant look but turned and crawled to the wet pile of clay that hid their friend.

"Clever," Chronus said, drawing up a few feet away. "But isn't there a saying about how the divided fall?" He chuckled, waving a few of his remaining followers forward. Behind them, the other Neils bent and salvaged what they could from the pools on the floor, talking quietly amongst themselves. "You're still outnumbered, five instead of seven, and you've done me the kindness of splitting up. I really don't see how I can lose."

Theresa crouched, her weapon ready. "You really talk too much, you know that?"

A choking gasp interrupted their heart to heart. "Uh, Theresa," Archie called. "We've got company."

She swiveled, feet still stuck. Behind Archie and Herry, the latter coughing as the former pushed misshapen lumps of clay away from his face, a new group of Neils had appeared, as grey as everything else around them. One of them waved cheerfully as they approached.

"Boy Theresa," he said, "you look terrible."

She smiled grimly. "You don't look so good yourself."

"If you surrender, I promise you I'll be lenient." Chronus spread his hands wide in supplication. "Your deaths will be quick and painless."

Theresa looked back and forth between the two groups, the burden of leadership falling squarely on her shoulders. She didn't envy Jay his quick decisions, though she wouldn't wish him in the middle of this chaos, either. "All right," she said at last. "We surrender."

"What?" Herry gasped, blinking the muck from his eyes. Archie only looked at her with wide eyes.

She dropped her weapon, mouth a thin line. "What choice do we have?" Theresa asked. "We're trapped between a rock and a hard place, with no way to steer through safely." A bit of mythology came to mind and she sighed. "In situations like this, you have to go with what seems the slightly better option. Even if it happens to be a terrible monster, or Chronus."

--

Jay, meanwhile, had nearly knocked out Atlanta when he was suddenly grabbed and dragged into an empty, unlocked room. He swung his polearm wildly, but off balanced, and she was able to duck and catch it before he could swing again.

"Whoa, Jay, it's me." She pulled him over to the small square windows where light from the dying sun outside shed a little insight. "Where are the others?" she asked quietly.

He sighed, troubled, and tucked his weapon away. "With Chronus by now," he said finally. "Archie and Theresa got stuck as well, and even with the sprinklers taking out some of the Neils there were too many to risk trying to free them."

"Poor Archie," she murmured. "So what do we do?" As Jay was about to answer, another voice cut him off.

"Oh Jay, Atlanta, come out, come out, wherever you are," Chronus called, very close to their current hiding place. They both froze, aware that the classroom door was unlocked and that if the Titan should decided to look inside they would be very visible. "I have some friends of yours who would just love for you to join them."

Silently, Jay motioned for Atlanta to follow him until they were at least out of sight, crouched down behind the desks in the back corner. He kept a finger to his lips, signaling that they should be quiet. In a throwback to their earlier session with Herry, Jay carefully explained with gestures that they were to keep silent until either Chronus discovered them, or left.

A few quiet chuckles from the Neils passed by and then everything was calm. Jay waited a few heartbeats, listening carefully, and then risked breaking the silence. "We have to find out where Chronus took the others," he whispered. "But it's just the two of us."

Atlanta nodded. "I guess it's a good thing we've been doing all the training we have been lately." Her smile was small and wry. "It looks like we're going to have to use Archie's ideas a little sooner than expected, too."

"Yeah. Now help me think like Odie." He looked around the room, trying to find something that could give them an advantage, or maybe help rescue the others. "He always manages to find some trick to help us out. Now we have to do the same."

She stood cautiously. "There's not much to work with, unfortunately." Using her hunter's instincts, Atlanta surveyed the abandoned desks and chairs, looking for something to use as a tool or weapon. The swivel chair behind the teacher's desk caught her eye. "What about this?" she asked, walking over to it.

"I'm not sure I follow your line of thought."

"We had some success with Herry acting like a bulldozer, so why not try it again? Give me your pole." Jay extended it and handed it to her, starting to see where she was headed. Atlanta took a seat, holding the weapon out in front her like a lance. "With me pushing and you knocking things out of the way with this," she said, swinging the polearm slowly from side to side, "we may be able to break through."

Jay nodded. "I think it's worth a shot," he said. "But how did you come up with it?"

"English." Atlanta ducked her head. "We're analyzing a poem about knights."

He shook his head, always amazed to know where inspiration came from. As he considered the idea, another thought, a little closer to their roots, came to his mind. "Let's get to it, then. We need something to weigh the polearm down, to make it a more effective lance." Atlanta nodded and they both set about searching the empty room.

--

"Nothing?" Chronus was beginning to feel the twinges of frustration gnawing at his temples. "Have you looked everywhere?" he asked the Neils, all of them glistening like frogs that had tried to become princes but hadn't quite made the full transition. They shrugged, an eerie ripple that traveled along them in a line. "Well, keep searching. Look in every room; break down the doors if you have to. You're supposed to represent your image, so start thinking like the descendent of Narcissus would." He was beginning to regret leaving his giants behind. "Maybe a little luck will rub off on you!"

"Chill out," one of them said, already falling into the mindset of the person he was made to resemble. "Anger is not an attractive emotion on you." He smiled. "Then again, not much is, really." His fellows, behind him, shared a laugh.

Resisting the strong urge to smite the lot of them, Chronus pointed sharply down the hall. "Just go," he ordered. "Find Jay and Atlanta and bring them back to the art room. Don't come back until you do." He watched them leave and turned to those remaining, holding the three captured heroes at bay. "You, come with me."

They marched to the art room and Chronus grabbed the knob to yank it open, only to find the door locked. Cursing, he pounded on it. "Pamela, open the door," he shouted, letting his patience slip a little further.

"I want my payment," was her muffled reply.

"You won't get it by locking yourself in. Now open the door." There was a moment of silence, then a crash and the fumbling sound of someone twisting open the deadbolt. Pam's weary face was waiting as the door swung open. "That's a good girl."

Chronus directed the Neils to take their captives to the back where Odie stood in his stone prison. Archie, when shoved up against the wall, stumbled and fell with a yelp of pain. Odie tried to reach over and help steady him, but his fingers fell short. Theresa said nothing as she took her place, and Herry, tired from his struggles and still partially covered in sticky clay, didn't bother putting up a fight, either.

The Titan took up a few more pieces of clay, trapping each hero in turn. He left Archie awkwardly splayed on the floor, his hands stuck behind him, holding him in place. Herry and Theresa were trapped standing, much like Odie, though Herry's arms were held down by several bands of hardening clay. Chronus paused when he noticed the gag on the descendent of Odysseus and the broken manacle on the wall.

"What happened here?" he asked, turning to Pam.

Hugging herself, she shrugged. "He was talking too much, trying to get me to turn on you, so I shut him up and stopped him from moving around. But," Pam said, fishing in her pockets, "he managed to get free, a little bit. With this." She held up the gold medallion key which glinted in the light.

"Clever, clever Odie." Chronus smiled. "But I'm afraid your cunning won't save you, not this time. It's only a matter of time before I find Jay and Atlanta, and then it's all over." He received a glare from the thinker.

"Where's Neil?" Theresa asked. "We know that all of the clones are just statues, made of clay. So what did you do with him?"

Chronus chose to ignore her. He smiled at Pam. "I want you to copy them," he said. "Then send their doubles to lure out Jay and Atlanta. After that, you'll get your due."

"Fine," she said, turning to get more materials even as her tired fingers protested. "But this is the last favor I do for you. I want what you took."

"Whatever you say, my dear." Chronus laughed. He turned to the Neils, gesturing at the captives. "Boys, keep an eye on them. If anyone tries to talk their way out, or looks suspicious, you have my permission to stop them. By any means. Now, I have some heroes to hunt." The Titan swept out of the room.

Pam sat quietly behind her workbench, hands expertly shaping the clay to match Archie's features. "Your friend already tried to talk me out of it," she said, keeping her eyes down. "It didn't work. He's still here, and so am I." As the warrior stood proudly on her board, she stood and approached him. "Hold still." She bent and plucked a few purple hairs from his head.

"Ow, watch it." Archie jerked his head away with a frown. "I've been abused enough for one day."

"The only way you're going to get out of here," Pam said, working next on Theresa, "is if your friends can find a way to create a distraction, or else sweep in here and rescue you themselves. Considering Chronus still has about thirty statues working for him, and possibly others sloshing around only half dissolved, the chances are slim."

Herry grunted. "Don't count us out yet. We've escaped from worse." He tugged with his arms but couldn't get the right leverage to break free. With a huff, he relaxed. "Although this is the first time we've had to fight things that look like us."

Pam glanced up at him, and then caught Odie's eye. "Any chance your friend's famous luck could save you?" she asked. "Or maybe something else?" She turned back to her work. Behind her, as if in response to her words, a distraction was already starting to form.


	13. A Twist or Two

Ahh, the first sort of pause in the update schedule has come. Sorry things have slowed down, but the graduation season has descended and has made my job just a little more hectic. But, loyal readers, thanks once again for the support. It keeps me vigilant.

This chapter is dedicated to Lost Experiment, as a thanks for the art, the inspiration, and especially for a certain idea that makes its appearance here. I hope this met your expectations.

Disclaimer: I don't own Class of the Titans. If I did, other Titans would have made some sort of appearance, either in person or through reference. After all, there was another generation before Chronus, a war fought between Titans and Olympians, and two Titans defected to Olympus. Something should come of all of this.

---

**A Twist or Two**

---

"Okay, I think we're set." Jay climbed onto the swivel chair, sitting on his knees with the back in front of him. He held his polearm out in front of him. They had lashed several chalkboard brushes to the far end to give it more mass. "Ready?" He glanced over his shoulder at Atlanta, who took up her position as driver.

"As I'll ever be. Just remember to tell me when to turn. I can't exactly see through you." She wheeled their makeshift charger out from behind the desk and aimed it at the door. "Do we know where we're going?" she asked, jogging over to open the door. Atlanta poked her head out carefully.

Jay had to shrug. "Not exactly. But if we just keep going, we should run into someone eventually." Not exactly the greatest logic but it was all they had at the moment. He hunched down in the seat as Atlanta threw open the door and sprinted into her position. "How many?"

"You'll see," was all she said before pushing hard, dipping into her speed as soon as they rounded the corner out into the hall.

Jay could hear the buzzing splash of her feet moving through the pooling sprinkler water even as he clutched at the chair with one hand to keep his balance. His makeshift lance wavered slightly and he pulled it straight. This was done just in time to meet the first Neil who seemed to loom out of the dark hall from nowhere. The smiling face met the pole directly, the erasers pulling off about half of the clay in one sweep, sending most of it back to splatter on Jay's yellow sweater.

The body, on the other hand, hit the chair with a wet smack. Behind Jay, Atlanta grunted, suddenly pushing twice the weight, some of which still dragged on the ground. As near-sightless hands groped at him, trying to score on Jay's eyes or nose, a second Neil was there, impaled on the lance and rendering it useless.

Statue Neil smiled. "Hey Jay," he said, completely at ease that the leader was battling an almost headless body. "You look busy. You should really learn to multitask, you know?" He grabbed Jay's shoulders, trying to wrench him from the seat. "Besides, around the corner, a lot more of us are waiting. You won't get through and you'll only ruin your clothes further."

"Stop!" the descendent of Jason shouted, releasing his weapon even as he spoke. Atlanta dug in her heels, sliding on the slick floor and sending the chariot into a swerve. Both Neils had long since dropped off, tumbling free or being crushed beneath the spinning wheels and breaking feet. They managed to skid to a stop a few feet from the end of the hallway.

"What's wrong?" Atlanta panted, peering around the chair. "I don't see anything."

Jay turned until he could sit properly in the seat, waving a hand, signaling her to keep her voice down. "There are more around the corner," he whispered, "and I don't think we can get through like this." He stood and retrieved his polearm from a flattened lump of clay. The familiar pattern of Neil's shirt was barely recognizable. A little further down the hall the body, now completely headless and with stumps for legs, crawled in small circles.

Atlanta crept to the edge of the hallway and carefully peered around the corner. "I don't think they're going to be much of a problem," she said, quickly turning away. Her face was slightly flushed, a small, befuddled smile slowly making its appearance. "You've got to see this."

--

"I'm sure Jay and Atlanta are doing what they can to find us," Theresa reassured the others, and herself. "We just need to sit tight, maybe think of something, and hope everything works out." Her cheerful smile faltered at the look of skepticism on Herry's face, and the quiet pain floating just behind Archie's eyes.

The warrior caught her stare and quickly turned his head away. "We appreciate your attempt at a pep talk, Theresa, really. But so far, this hasn't been like our other battles. It's more planned somehow."

"Well, is there some way to free Herry's arms? He could probably break the rest of us out." She scanned the room, startling when Pam appeared suddenly at her side and snatched up one long, red hair from her scalp. "Hey," she said with a touch of a whine. "That's mine."

Odie waved his hands suddenly. As Archie and Theresa stared at him, he tried to point at something in the main part of the room, the other hand fluttering in some strange attempt to mime what he was seeing. Archie frowned, trying to understand his friend.

A quiet, "Whoa," from Herry finally caused them to look for themselves. Almost all at once, the heroes either blushed or had their eyes nearly pop out of their heads.

Off behind Pam, who seemed oblivious to everything except the sculpture of Herry she was working on, the Neils were engaged in something that could very accurately be described as a distraction. What had started with idle conversation between them, mostly to pass the time while they waited for new directions from Chronus, had quickly become something a lot more _involved_.

"Are they…?" Theresa asked, her face a beautiful shade of pink.

"They are," Archie confirmed. Odie nodded enthusiastically beside Herry, who merely stared, unabashed.

Splayed out on the long art tables, the Neils were engaged in a happy round of making out. Two pairs had locked lips, one pushed down on a table while the other bent over him, practically smothering his partner with long, hard kisses. A fifth sat next to one of the kissers, hands fisted in his hair, patiently waiting for a turn that soon came. As they watched, the kissing quickly escalated into fondling and soft, sighing moans.

Archie was the first to tear his eyes away. "This is not what I would have expected," he said, suddenly feeling _very_ uncomfortable. _Though it would explain why we can talk so freely_. A smudge of movement caught his eye and he risked a glance to see what was to happen next.

Odie was rummaging through a drawer, his feet suddenly free. He pulled out a hammer and a chisel. Herry was the first hero to be approached, Odie working carefully away at the restraints on his left arm. As soon as a few had cracked and fallen off, Herry took care of the rest. He took the tools and set to work at his feet, but not before Odie yanked out a few brown hairs, and took them to Pam.

The artist jerked her head up in surprise at the offering. "Why are you giving me this?" she asked. In response, he jerked his thumb at his mouth, still covered by a stone gag. "Oh." A small blush heated her cheeks. "Sure." She folded the hairs into the clay, much to the confusion of the others, and fetched a small, slender chisel from another drawer. "Hold still."

He was sure to be very stiff as the tool tapped against his lips, making a thin crack that soon spider webbed and set small stone chips raining to the floor. Odie took a grateful breath. "Thank you," he said and turned back to his friends. He moved to check on Archie.

"What's up with her?" the warrior asked as Odie pounded with a second chisel at his wrists. "Is she working for Chronus, or is she with us?"

Odie shrugged. "The thing is, I'm not really sure. But I made a promise." The clay chipped away, he gently brushed his fingers over Archie's heel, retracting them swiftly at the hiss of pain. "Your brace looks banged up. Can you walk?"

"I don't think so." It pained him to admit his weakness, but it was a lot better than trying to stand and falling over gracelessly.

A faint bellow of rage sent shivers down Odie's spine as he searched for something to use as a crutch. "Sounds like Chronus has run into some problems. I wonder if the rest of his Neils are, uh, busy?" He resisted the sudden urge to turn and look at what was happening on the tables behind him. "Obviously the statues aren't perfect."

"I heard that," Pam said mildly. "They're as good as the material they're made out of." She fished around under her workbench and pulled out a hairbrush that had one errant blonde hair sticking out of it. It was tossed to Archie, who wrinkled his nose. "Give that back to Neil for me. I don't think we'll meet."

Theresa rubbed feeling back into her ankles. "We should get moving, in case Chronus decides to check on us." A rather loud groan caused her to blush an even brighter pink. "And quickly, before the door is blocked."

--

Jay stared, unblinking, at the scene before him. Pressed up against lockers, walls, and simply spread out on the floor, the Neils were engaged it what could only be described as an orgy. He had to laugh, just a little, at the image of them kissing and groping each other, still wet and slick from the earlier sprinkler attack.

"Well," he said with a grin, pulling himself back onto his chariot, "it couldn't get much more fitting than this."

Atlanta gave him a funny look as she wheeled him forward, through the shifting throng. If she squinted, she thought she could almost see the faint suggestion of steam floating in the air around them. "Whatever you say," was her only response as she flicked her eyes away, staring intently at the yellow sweater in front of her.

"Think about it. Neil loves himself, and now there are several of him." He cast his gaze from side to side, smile still firmly in place. "I wonder if it suggests anything about the real Neil. Do you think, if given the chance, he'd do this?"

"I really don't know, Jay." Atlanta picked up her pace, not really minding anymore if she ran over a stray foot or wandering hand. "I don't think I want to know, either."

He shrugged. "Turn left up here. We'll try looking by the gym."

They swung around the corner and came face to face with a seething Chronus, several busy Neils in various provocative positions around him. The Titan's fist was clenched and he looked about ready to smite something. When he caught sight of Jay and Atlanta, a relieved smile crossed his face.

"You don't know how happy I am to see you two." A scythe appeared before him and he snatched it. "I was beginning to think of simply destroying the entire school, but you've made my job that much easier."

Jay's amusement only seemed to increase as he clenched the pole tightly in both hands. "You really seem to have trouble picking reliable minions, huh Chronus? I guess that's why you haven't beaten us yet, and probably never will." He stepped down from the chair and took up a ready stance, knowing that even in such a surreal situation, the god was not one to be trifled with.

Chronus chuckled. "I think you're underestimating me, Jay. You really shouldn't if you value your life." He swung suddenly, the hero just barely getting his weapon up in time to block the blow. "Who's to say I don't know exactly what I'm doing?"

Atlanta watched warily, looking for an opening and keeping an eye out for any tricks. She knew it was some sort of tradition, the main hero facing off with the main villain, but that didn't mean she couldn't help. A quiet sloshing sound caught her attention, however, and she turned around, one hand still holding the swivel chair. For a moment, Atlanta wished she hadn't.

From the hall they'd just passed through appeared a line of barely humanoid figures, shuffling slowly forward. With keen eyes, she could pick out hints of what they'd once been; a stylish trainer here, an arm band or part of a shirt there. Several still had faces, though the features had run together in ways that would make Picasso pull out a canvas in a fit of inspiration.

The more Neil-like ones, stumbling just behind the front few, seemed off somehow. It took a moment for Atlanta to place why; they had extra arms, legs, even half-gone hands sticking out from their sides and hips. One even had half a face, Odie's, stuck to his shoulder. She suppressed a shiver and glanced around for a weapon, finding nothing but the chair to work with. Atlanta pulled it in front of her like a shield.

As they moved toward her, the most misshapen figures in the front bent and pulled limbs, occasionally faces, from the kissing Neils pressed up against the walls. The assaulted merely showed annoyance before wandering off to find another partner, if they could. Those who couldn't gave themselves up for parts.

"Jay," Atlanta called, reaching a hand behind her to tug at the leader's sleeve. "We have a problem."

Chronus laughed, swinging his scythe as Jay turned to look. The polearm clattered to the floor a few meters away. "I'd say you have several problems," he said. "The question is, which one will get you first?"


	14. Deus Ex Machina?

As you can no doubt tell from the title, this chapter makes good on the suggestion of divine intervention, although it might not be as epic as you think. I'm certainly not wanting to be in Chronus' position, however. You'll see what I mean.

On a side note, my updating will probably be slowing down on a permanent basis. My work schedule is picking up a bit, and I'm finding less time to write. Plus, I'm kind of deciding how I want things to end, and without that I'm a bit stuck in some areas. But no worries, I will definitely be keeping a semi-regular schedule. And reviews always help.

Also, stay tuned at the end of the chapter for an announcement that may very well rock your socks.

Disclaimer: I don't own Class of the Titans. If I did, some explanation as to why all the heroes can magically use their assorted weapons would be provided. I can understand Odie's technological brilliance and Theresa's proficiency with her nunchucks, given their backgrounds. Even Atlanta has some plausibility, since she's supposed to be a tracker of sorts. But I hardly think Archie and Jay spent time as young boys cracking whips and parrying with swords. If they did, I would wonder about the parenting involved.

---

**Deus Ex Machina?**

---

Neil woke suddenly to a sharp pain in his mouth and a sudden gasp that almost suggested he had been holding his breath. He frowned, realizing that he had bit his tongue while in the midst of a dream. The room around him was dark and seemed to be growing darker still. _It's late_, he realized. _How long have I been sleeping?_

Slowly, he sat up, muscles protesting slightly. Neil doubted he would be walking straight any time soon, but it seemed a small price to pay. He was sure he could turn whatever ungraceful waddle he started out with into a swanky waltz in no time, given that he actually got out of bed to do anything about it. It was as he swung his legs over the side, tugging them free of the limp sheets, that Neil noticed he was alone.

_The house is not kind of creepy_, he thought to himself, staggering upright and trying to find some article of clothing that wouldn't require more than a few steps and little bending to fetch. Luckily, a pair of boxers had managed to snag on the edge of the small dresser. He snatched them up and wiggled into them with a soft grunt.

His first adventure was the search for a bathroom, which ended leading him to the base of the stairs. Sure some fate was laughing at him, Neil hobbled up carefully, keeping a death grip on the banister in case his foot was grabbed at by a step, or his legs just decided to give up on him completely. In spite of the long nap he'd taken, the blonde found himself yawning quite a bit. By the time he reached the top of the stairs, Neil had to stop and wait for the floor to settle down and stop spinning. He thought he caught a glimpse of someone watching him, with tired eyes and a wry smile, but when he looked it was just a lamp on a table. Hallucinating, he decided, was not a good sign.

"Looking for something, good-looking?" Galen said, smirking, from the kitchen. Neil jumped with a little yelp and turned to face him. "You've been asleep for quite a while, and you look terrible. More nightmares?" He walked his fingers lazily across a countertop.

Neil shivered, scattered, foggy memories surfacing in brief flashes that had him fingering his hair distractedly. Suddenly the very idea of sleeping seemed foreboding, and he wrapped his arms around himself. "I can't remember them," he said quickly. "Just pieces." There was something about cold, dark water that nagged at him, but Neil pushed the image away.

Galen gestured for him to come closer. "I'm sorry to hear that." As soon as Neil was within reach, Galen pulled him close and simply held him. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"What time is it?" the model asked. He eyed the shadows crawling across the wall. A yawn caught him off guard soon after. "I should probably head back to the dorm soon."

Galen shrugged. "After five." He pressed a kiss to Neil's cheek. "I like your sense of fashion." His fingers trailed a line from shoulder down toward the blonde's navel.

Neil shrugged himself out of the embrace with a smile. "I should head home before the others start wondering. Or would you like to explain why there's suddenly two of me?" His smile faltered at the look on Galen's face.

"I think they might be happy if there were only two of you." He grabbed Neil's wrist and pushed him back against the fridge. "As it is, they have their hands full. And so do you."

--

Chronus raised his scythe, preparing to strike the ending blow that would guarantee his success as ruler of the universe. Jay backed slowly toward Atlanta who warded off the misshapen statues with the swivel chair. They stood back to back, facing two equally unappealing options.

"I'm open to suggestions," Jay said.

"I'd give you some if I had any," Atlanta returned.

As the first groping fingers of the statues snagged on the swivel chair, getting ready to rip it out of Atlanta's grasp, the atmosphere in the hallway suddenly changed. It seemed to get lighter, wider. The shuffling Neils stopped and even Chronus straightened up to look around, a strange look on his face. Atlanta looked past the Titan herself, trying to figure out what was going on. Jay merely sighed softly, his earlier grin returning.

"Wow," he breathed with a slight chuckle.

Chronus was scowling, staring off at whatever was responsible for this interruption. "I must admit," he said, "I never expected _you_ to come to their rescue."

Atlanta strained, pushing an unresponsive Jay to the side to get a better look. Facing down Chronus at the end of the hall, a stern if uncertain expression on her lovely face, stood the Goddess of Love and Beauty in all her splendor. The water on the floor seemed to have dried up around her feet, and the lockers fairly shone as if brand new. "Aphrodite?" Atlanta stared.

"The better half of my father," Chronus chuckled. "What are you doing here? Couldn't stand to see your heroes make more of a mess of themselves?" He took a few steps toward her.

The goddess flapped a hand dismissively at the two heroes. "No, no. Jay and Atlanta aren't mine." She pointed a finger accusingly at Chronus, the hint of a frown suggesting itself on her lips. "I want to know where Neil is and what you've done to him."

"Neil is exactly where he wants to be, I can assure you." The Titan smirked cruelly. "You shouldn't worry so much, dear Aphrodite. You'll get wrinkles."

Aphrodite didn't so much as blink at the threat to her complexion. Her hands flashed to her hips and she drew herself up a little straighter. "Where is Neil?" she asked again. "I don't want to get involved anymore than I have to."

Chronus waved his free hand in a grand gesture. "Of course not. It's simply not your forte. But I promise you, Neil is fine. Not a perfect hair on his head has been harmed." He motioned with his scythe. "If you insist on interrupting, however, I can't promise he'll stay that way."

Atlanta spun around as a cold, clammy hand grabbed her wrist. The shuffling Neils had shuddered back into motion, reaching for her and for Jay. She shook off the grasp and elbowed Jay. He made no indication of registering the blow, still staring dreamily at Aphrodite. With a roll of her eyes, the hunter decided to take matters into her own hands. Atlanta jerked the chair away from the statues and used it to scoop up the fearless, love struck leader. With a burst of speed, she charged down the hall toward the quarrelling gods.

The Titan whirled, lashing out with his weapon as they passed. Atlanta felt the whisper of its movement pass just behind her head before they had completely cleared him, racing for Aphrodite. The goddess calmly stepped aside to let them through.

"I'll hold him back for a while," she called sweetly, and then they were gone, on their way to another part of the empty school. Aphrodite made sure to block Chronus' path as he started after the two heroes. "You still haven't answered my question, Chronus."

"Aprhodite, my dear, what do you think you can possibly do to stop me?" he asked as a second scythe appeared in his hand. He started to advance on her but stopped when she raised her arms. "You're out of your league."

She made a smooth, sweeping motion with her arms. Chronus could feel the stir of some force being unleashed. "Love is powerful when it's used properly," she countered. "They won't stop until I reverse the enchantment."

"What are you talking –" he broke off, whirling around. The Neils wrinkled whatever parts of them could be called mouths into dopey smiles. Their arms reached out for him. Chronus turned back to Aphrodite, glaring at her. "Call them off," he warned.

"Not until I get what I want."

--

Archie tested his weight on the easel crutch that Odie had rigged for him. It managed to take most of the pressure off of his heel, leaving just a faint enough reminder that if he wasn't careful, it could hurt quite a bit. It throbbed every few minutes, too, just so he'd be on his toes. "This is one part about being related to Achilles I could do without," he grumbled. He hefted his whip in his free hand a little awkwardly.

"No one's perfect," Herry reminded him. "And it could always be worse."

Theresa gave Archie a reassuring smile. "You'll be all better in no time, once we get out of this mess." She jerked her head slightly in the direction of Pam, who was busy cleaning up. "But to do that, I think we need to get rid of those doubles she made of us. It's hard enough trying to keep our heads while we're fighting Neil, let alone having ourselves running around."

Odie hesitated. "But I made a promise to keep her out of things if she helped me escape." He pointed to his feet. "Which she did, by the way." Odie also held up his pendant key. "She even came up with the idea that would keep Chronus from figuring it out, and gave back my key while he was securing you."

"We won't be involving her," Theresa said. "Just those statues. If she really wants to be left alone, it shouldn't matter." She patted the thinker on the shoulder reassuringly. "Besides, I get the feeling she doesn't want to help Chronus any more than we want her to."

"If you say so," Odie said. "So what's the plan?"

Theresa considered. "Hit and run. Archie, you and Odie get moving, out into the hall first. Herry, you destroy those things and then take off after them. I'll cover the rear." She motioned for them to get started.

"Man," Archie huffed as he headed for the door, "I hate being left out." He kept a careful eye on the busy Neils as he reached for the knob. They appeared oblivious. Odie close behind, they stepped through and out into an empty hall. "Are we going anywhere in particular?"

The descendent of Odysseus considered. "That way," he said, pointing. "I think I have an idea that will get you back into the game, and get us out of here. We just need to pick up a few things, first."

"I like the sound of that." Archie led the way at his new pace, Odie trotting along beside him.

Back in the art room, Herry was slowly drifting nearer to the drying table where the statues sat, unattended. Theresa divided her attention between Pam, who seemed preoccupied with cleaning a sink, and the Neils, who were still going strong. The latter she tried to avoid, but their proximity to the exit meant she had to look that way, to make sure the way was clear. She nodded to Herry, signaling that he could go ahead whenever he had a clear shot.

As he raised a fist, Pam glanced at him with a sigh. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," she said, a hint reproachfully. "Not unless you want to make things worse."

"Worse how?" he asked. "Because I figure having clones running around, getting us into trouble, is about the worst thing that could happen right now, on top of everything else." At Pam's shrug, he swung, aiming to crush the three figures in one blow. But his fist was stopped before it could hit the table. "Huh?" Herry blinked, trying to clear his eyes.

Theresa, behind him, just about flung her hands into the air in frustration. "Oh, of course they'd have to come to life anyway. You couldn't just let us sneak away peacefully, could you?" She directed a glared at Pam.

"I warned him," the sculptor said. "And I didn't tell you to try destroying them, either." She shrugged.

Herry, meanwhile, struggled with himself. "Boy, you sure are authentic," he grunted, grappling against what seemed to be his own strength. "I'd compliment you if the situation was entirely different." Statue Herry smirked and heaved, sending the hero skidding backwards. "Theresa? Any ideas?"

"Water worked on the Neils," she said, casting a glance around the room for some. "But I don't think I'll be able to get any in time."

Statue Theresa, hands on her hips, sighed. "What ever happened to all those great visions you have? You'd think one would've popped up by now and tipped you off on _something_." She formed a set of nunchucks out of her substance, swinging them as effectively as if she were the real hero. "Oh well. I guess it just makes it easier for me."

Archie waited off to the side, idle. "Let me know if either of you two need some help. My agenda is wide open."

Pam simply watched as the heroes circled their doubles. "I guess it's true what they say," she mused. "Your own worst enemy is yourself, after all."

---

As promised, here's a bit of exciting news:

From the authors of _Night Comes Down_ and _Skin Deep_ comes an epic of unbelievable proportions. If you thought you knew everything about the modern heroes of _Class of the Titans_, you were wrong. Discover Jay's startling secret, Theresa's hidden fetish, and much, much more. The very latest in eye-opening drama, this story promises to be one of the year's best fanfics. Coming soon to a website near you.


	15. Splits

My apologies for the long pause, but it's been crazy for me this last little while. Graduation season is just insane in the flower business (which is where I work). But, here's an update so it's all good, yes? Thanks for the reviews.

Disclaimer: I don't own Class of the Titans. If I did, the show would defy the summer rerun schedule and launch a second season immediately. Ah well, I can dream of what's to come, right?

---

**Splits**

---

As soon as they were out of sight of the two quarrelling deities, Jay seemed to recover his senses. He blinked and looked around, slightly clueless, but said nothing as they sped through the quiet halls. His attention stayed on the Neils they passed, his mind churning with ideas. He knew, in some way, that whatever had happened to get him away from Chronus was important, but could be worried about later. At the moment, Jay had come to a decision.

He motioned for Atlanta to stop. "We've got to stop running," he said, standing up. "Theresa and the others are still captured, and we still have no idea what happened to Neil." Jay glanced at the nearest room number, a smile lighting as he realized where they were. "Come on." He grabbed Atlanta's wrist and drew her inside.

"I'm all for turning the situation around, but how exactly are we going to do that? The Neils just pick themselves up and keep coming, uglier than before." The hunter made a sweeping motion with her hand toward the hall. "And it took a goddess to get us away from Chronus alive. I don't think we'll be that lucky again."

"Aphrodite, was it?" Jay mused absently, searching cupboards that lined the far wall of the classroom. He had experienced similar blanks in his memory before, but usually they ended rather painfully at the hands of Theresa. "That means our Neil is in over his head, or completely off the map. We can't waste time."

Atlanta crouched beside him, scanning shelves over his shoulder. "So what plan are we putting into action?"

The leader glanced back at her. "Archie's, or at least part of it." He smiled, just a quick flash of teeth, and then turned back to his task. "Since the direct approach didn't work, and running away is getting us nowhere," he said, examining a dark green bottle, "we need to start trying other things. At the very least, we should be able to meet up with the others. After that, well, we'll see." Jay set the bottle aside and reached for another, this one a clear brown. "Have you ever taken Chemistry?"

"No, just Biology." Atlanta glanced at the label on the bottle Jay had set aside. "Acid?" she asked, confused. "I guess it would be more effective than just straight water, but wouldn't we run the risk of getting burned ourselves?"

Jay shook his head. "The acid is a catalyst. At least, I'm pretty sure it is. My memory is a little foggy but it's bound to be better than nothing." He handed Atlanta the brown container and a blue one, grabbing the green bottle and straightening. "Take those over to one of the benches and find a flask we can mix them in. A big one."

"Boy, do I feel reassured," she said rolling her eyes. "Is it possible that whatever we're doing might blow up in our faces if your memory proves to be too foggy?" She was all for new ideas, but things like what they seemed to be attempting were usually left in the capable hands of Odie, who knew _exactly_ what he was doing.

"I don't think so," Jay said distractedly, searching through a drawer. "Ah, here are the hotplates."

--

"Herry, duck!" Theresa shouted as she vaulted a table, aiming a kick at his double's chest.

Herry was quick to dip down as the fighter sailed over him, her blow striking his mirror image squarely in the chest. The statue stumbled backward with a soft grunt and Theresa flipped skillfully to land neatly on her feet in a crouch. She quickly dove to knock her fellow hero out of the way of a flashing whip from Archie, who hadn't moved but had decided to get involved. Her own clone was busy retrieving her weapon, which had gone skittering across the room minutes earlier due to another kick from Theresa.

"This is ridiculous," she panted, climbing back to her feet. An angry glance was flicked in Pam's direction. "Which side are you on, anyway? You helped Odie, but now you're going to sit back and let them capture us again, and Chronus gets to rule the world?"

"You don't understand," Pam said, "Chronus –"

"Took something from you, yeah, I get it." Theresa ducked a wayward blow from her double and backed off a few paces. Archie's whip caught her wrist and she bit back a yelp of pain. "But we can't help you if you don't help us."

Herry managed to throw off his double and grabbed at the whip, pulling. "Please?" he added hopefully. "You can trust us. Really." He tugged sharply and managed to yank the weapon out of Archie's hands.

Pam glanced between them, at the opposing Theresa's staring each other down, at the two brawny heroes meeting and breaking apart as their strength matched, and at Archie's self-satisfied smirk as he, too, played observer. "Hold them," she said finally, "and I'll see what I can do."

"Herry?" Theresa shot him a look.

"Got it," he said, opening his arms wide. "Send them over."

As if sensing an impending end, the three statues charged Theresa at once, hoping to overwhelm her. Herry grabbed at her while Archie aimed a low kick to her shins. Her duplicate settled for aiming a blow at the fighter's head. Theresa quickly sprang backward as her fellow hero stepped forward to embrace the trio in a crushing hug.

She smiled gratefully at Herry. "Thanks."

"No problem," he grunted, struggling to keep his grip. "But can we hurry it up?"

The sculptor stepped forward and laid a hand on the closest, struggling duplicate. Almost immediately the color drained from them and Herry was able to step away. They had been reduced to simple life-sized statues. "There," Pam said, taking a few quick breaths. "Happy?"

"Very. Now, come on." Theresa grabbed Pam's wrist and pulled her toward the door. She made a point not to look in the direction of the Neils. "If you come with us, Chronus can't hurt you and we'll get him off your back."

"I'm sorry if I don't feel reassured, considering he's intent on hunting you down." Pam blushed as her eyes eventually strayed. "Your friend has an interesting… mind."

The fighter had to smile. _You have no idea how much he loves himself_, she thought, thinking of all the time Neil spent in front of his personal mirror. They drew up short in the hallway as Theresa searched for Odie and Archie, who were nowhere to be seen. "They couldn't just wait for us before running off somewhere, could they?"

"Maybe they left to avoid Chronus," Pam said with a shrug. "I think I saw them head that way." She pointed to the right.

"Then let's get going." Herry urged the two down the hall, casting a glance back at the art room as if suspecting their clones would appear and give chase.

--

Chronus, cursing under his breath, used his scythes to keep the surging Neils at bay, especially the misshapen ones. He cast a sneer in Aphrodite's direction, silently damning her to the Underworld for her interference. "You want to know where your precious Neil is so badly?" he asked. "Fine. He's off having fun realizing a genetic wish that's been passed down through the generations, ancestor to ancestor." The Titan grunted as he shook off the rather persistent gasp of a multi-handed Neil.

"Thank you," Aphrodite said graciously. She waved her hand and the advances stopped. The goddess turned to sweep off down the adjoining hall but paused. "You know, dear," she added, as an afterthought, "vengeance doesn't really look good on you. Think about getting a hobby, or at least a better suit." She was quick to skirt off out of range around a corner, as Chronus raised a scythe with murderous intent.

--

Archie eyed the Physics room suspiciously. "We're really going to find a secret weapon in here?" he asked from his seat on one of the desks. His heel was really starting to kill him, even with the help of his crutch. "What have you been doing in here, Odie?"

The thinker rolled his eyes as he searched the large teacher workbench. "Nothing really, just your average calculation of vectors and forces. But we're not here for anything like that." Odie straightened up with a grin, holding up a small silver key. "This room shares a storeroom with some of the other Physics labs, including the ones currently studying combustion and electricity." He strode to a door half-hidden behind a small bookcase full of Newton's cradles.

"So what, you're going to make a bomb?"

"Hardly," Odie said, unlocking the door and peering inside. "But I do have an idea or two, depending on what I find in here. Be back in a second." He stepped in, groping in the dark for a light switch. The muffled clinking of jars and sliding containers was soon the only sound.

Archie bent to examine his heel, frowning at the dent in his brace. There was little chance it would get better with the brace constantly biting into his skin. He carefully pulled it off, gritting his teeth. It clattered to the floor beside the desk, revealing pale skin and a purpling bruise that caused him to wrinkle his noise in distaste.

A familiar voice broke into his thoughts. "Do you think they went this way?" Archie smiled at Herry's bemused question, picturing the look on his face.

"Guys," the warrior called, pulling himself to his feet and hastily grabbing his crutch. He hobbled to the door, pulling it open so quickly that it banged against the wall loudly, the sound ringing out into the hall. "In here." His voice echoed.

Herry and Theresa turned at the noise, twin smiles lighting on their faces as they spied Archie. "There you are," Theresa said. "We thought you ran off somewhere."

"Yeah, buddy," Herry agreed. "We're glad we found you."

--

Neil stifled a small yelp as his back hit the cold metal of the refrigerator. His head felt light again as his mind tried to comprehend what was happening. Galen pressed him back, holding his wrists above his head in a strangely cool grip. His double's eyes were hard.

"Hands full?" the model asked, a small kernel of worry resurfacing. Was he wrong? Had he made a mistake after all? Neil tried to brush it off. _Galen is probably getting his thoughts mixed up_, he reasoned. _By hands full, he's hinting at something else. Something decidedly nice._ But the hero wasn't sure anymore. His earlier doubts returned, the thoughts of robot clones and secret plots screaming at him that he'd been an idiot.

Galen dipped his head in suddenly to kiss him, dragging a shaky, startled moan from the blonde. "Oh, completely," he murmured, their noses brushing. "You're quite a handful."

Neil tried to push Galen away but he hardly budged. He turned his head away from his own mocking eyes. "There are more like you," he said, suddenly realizing. "You were made to get me away from the others, to separate us so the prophecy would be broken."

"More than that, good-looking. Chronus tried that angle over and over with the same success. He's gotten smarter." Galen grabbed Neil's chin with his free hand and forcefully turned his head so that they gazed at each other. "I've done more than simply separate you from them. You love me, don't you?" His smile was cruel. "And you want to believe that I love you."

"You said you did, when we met." Neil's voice was quiet. His head throbbed from a building headache as his fatigue weighed down on him. He felt isolated, cut off from his friends whom he had foolishly left. The strange one-sided conversation he had heard while still half asleep came to mind.

As a sense of understanding dawned in the hero's eyes, Galen smirked. "That's right," he said. "I'm not going to break the prophecy simply by keeping you here. I'm going to do it by breaking your heart." He leaned in as if to kiss Neil again. A voice cut him short.

"Get away from him!"


	16. Flashlights and Explosions

I'm borrowing song lyrics for this chapter title, and to some degree as inspiration for what happens. I've come to better appreciate the power of music, I suppose. Not to mention I've been helped along by a nice stream of reviews. Thanks

Disclaimer: I don't own Class of the Titans. If I did, someone would realize that there are other Titans in the world, and a generation before them. Wouldn't it be neat to see Uranus suddenly appear, trying to get back at Chronus?

---

**Flashlights and Explosions**

---

Aphrodite, in all her divine glory, stood framed in the kitchen doorway, hands firmly on her hips. In all his time as her student, Neil had never seen her anything other than happy. But at this moment, she looked almost livid.

"I said, get away from him." Her voice was calm, nearly hiding the edge that clearly said she meant business. "You have no right to play with someone's emotions. Especially Neil's."

The blonde was somewhere between relieved and mortified. Of all the people he could have expected to appear in a flash of heroism, Aphrodite was at the bottom of his list. However, given the circumstances, he wasn't complaining. Entirely. Some damaged piece of his pride lamented the appearance of his mentor right when she was proven right in regards to his love life choices.

Galen took a half step backward, releasing his hold on both of Neil's wrists but keeping a firm grip on one. "Goddess of Love and Beauty," he said, eyes sweeping over her. "I admit, I never thought you would play savior."

She shrugged, a momentary lapse into nonchalance. "What can I say? I'm protective of my favourites." Aphrodite took a few steps toward them, skirting the counter in her way. The goddess nearly scowled as she got a better look at her student, nearly naked, faint shadows suggesting themselves under his eyes. "I'm really not supposed to get involved," she said with a hint of a frown. "So if you let him go, I'll let you run back to Chronus in one piece."

"That's very gracious of you, Aphrodite. Really. But I'm afraid he's mine." Galen jerked Neil's arm suddenly, sending the blonde tumbling into his duplicate's waiting embrace. "Besides, I don't think you can do anything. You Olympians have a non-interference policy that prevents any big acts of magic, don't you?"

"Yes," she admitted, loathe to do so. The decision on Hera's part had seemed like a good idea at the time, and the heroes so far had proven themselves to be self-sufficient. She drew closer, hands dropping from her hips to hang uselessly at her sides. "But I hoped there was a shred of humanity in you."

Galen laughed suddenly. "You hoped that maybe I really love him, that true love conquers all?" He ran a hand roughly through Neil's hair. "How can a statue feel love?" he asked bitterly. "This isn't a fairy tale."

Aphrodite's hand flashed, striking Galen squarely across the face with a resounding smack. He reeled backward from the blow, his nose bent at an impossible angle. Neil struggled out of his duplicate's grip, stumbling toward his mentor. She spared a moment to pull him into a brief half-hug, then urged him toward the door.

"Go," she said, returning her attention to Galen. "The others need your help at school."

Neil hesitated, casting a last fleeting glance toward his mirror image. Then, he turned and ran.

--

Odie frowned. He had expected a lot more from the school's science department than what he found waiting for him in the dark storage room. Instead of the electricity models he had hoped for, he found lemon clocks and simple circuits cluttering the shelves. Either the budget had been cut, or everything was set up in other classrooms, which would probably be locked, if they had time to search them all in the first place. The thinker sighed, looking over what he had to work with. He was rummaging through a box when he heard a shout and a crash from the Physics room.

Banging his head sharply on an overhanging shelf, Odie whirled toward the sound. He grabbed the first thing that could be used as a weapon and crept slowly toward the door. A second crash caused him to jump, weapon waving wildly, into the room with his version of a manly, primal yell.

Three heads turned toward him. Archie, face contorted in a mixture of pain and anger, lay awkwardly against a wall, two desks knocked over around him. Herry and Theresa stood over him, the former with his fist raised in what was meant to be a final blow. Odie glanced at what he had grabbed – a large flashlight – and felt horribly inadequate.

"Um, hey guys," he said, attempting to break the heavy silence. "Did Archie make another bad joke? Is that why you look ready to kill him?" Odie chuckled nervously. "Because otherwise I'd think you aren't who you seem to be, and that means I'm in trouble."

"Odie," Archie growled, "get out of here. You can't win."

Theresa took a step closer to the thinker, smiling. "If you just give up, winning won't matter." She held out her hand. "Give me the flashlight and sit next to Archie. Everything will be okay."

The descendent of Odysseus shook his head. "I don't think so." His grip tightened on his weapon as his eyes flicked around the room, looking for anything that could tip the favor to his side. _Think_, he urged himself. _There's always a way out_. Odie gritted his teeth. "I'm not going anywhere without Archie," he said, crouching into what he hoped was a ready stance.

"Be reasonable, Odie," Herry said. "If you fight us, you'll only get hurt. We both know you aren't a warrior." His lips twisted in a smirk as he glanced at Archie. "Neither of you are today."

Odie waved the flashlight slightly. "I'm not helpless." He edged toward one of the lab benches next to the door to the hall. Predictably, Theresa moved to match him, cutting off any hope of a clear path out of the room. Thankfully, the hero wasn't planning on running. "I'm not helpless," he repeated, lunging as if to make a break for it.

Instead of pushing past her, Odie stopped short and swung the flashlight like a club, catching Theresa off guard with a blow to her shoulder and knocking her stumbling into the hall. He quickly grabbed the door and slammed it shut, twisting the crude deadbolt.

"Look out!" Archie called.

The thinker turned just in time to meet Herry's fist, glasses twisting off his face to clatter across the floor. Odie shouted in pain, hand darting up to cover his eye as he fought to recover his balance by backing up. His side caught the edge of the bench and his feet were no longer under him. He heard something crash beside him and roll across the floor. He was lucky it hadn't landed on him.

"You should have played nice," Herry said, reaching down and knocking the flashlight from Odie's grasp. "But you chose the hard way."

"Hey, Herry." The brawny hero turned to face Archie. The warrior aimed the nozzle of a fire extinguisher squarely at the duplicate's chest. "You're the one who should've known better." He squeezed the trigger and released a wide spray of wet foam.

If he expected a bellow of outrage, Archie was disappointed. Herry took a few staggering steps toward him, reaching with an arm quickly losing color and cohesion. His legs sagged and he toppled to the floor with a soft gurgle as the chemicals in the foam fizzed savagely, reacting with the clay.

"Whoa," was all that Odie could say, holding his head and staring over the bubbling mess at Archie. He groped for the flashlight and climbed slowly to his feet.

A sudden pounding on the door caused them both to jump. "Let's get out of here," Archie suggested with a grunt, using a chair to pull himself upright. "Is there another way out of here?"

Odie nodded uncertainly. "There might be. If one of the classrooms adjoining the store room is unlocked… But there's no guarantee."

"It's worth a shot. Let's go."

--

"Do you mind filling me in on what we're doing?" Atlanta asked as another silent minute ticked by. She watched the beaker, full of acid, slowly come to a boil with a soft murmur of bubbles. Jay cracked open one of the bottles they had grabbed and took a sniff, quickly jerking it away again at the smell. Atlanta recoiled herself as the unpleasant smell of vomit reached her. "And what is that?"

"Butyric acid." He poured nearly half the contents into the heated acid. Almost immediately the smell increased, causing both heroes to choke and pinch their noses. "Usually," Jay said, "we don't use this stuff because of the smell. But today I think it's perfect."

Atlanta rolled her eyes. "Perfect for _what_?" She was getting tired of being left out of whatever crazy idea Jay had in his head, not to mention the leader was beginning to seem something like a mad scientist from the movies, playing with chemicals.

Jason's descendent smiled. "An ester. They're artificial smells, like what makes air freshener smell like flowers." He reached for the third bottle and double checked the label. "We're going to make pineapple."

"So our plan is to attack Chronus with the smell of pineapples?" She was incredulous and really starting to wonder if being a leader without a group to lead was affecting Jay's mind. "I don't think that's really going to help us, unless he's allergic or had a bad experience in his childhood." Atlanta was fairly positive that neither would be the case, and Chronus would probably be _happy_ to have the stale school air freshened up.

"Ye of little faith," Jay chided. He poured only a small bit of the third bottle and then tentatively took a sniff. From the expression on his face, Atlanta guessed it still smelled pretty bad. "Perfect." Jay coughed and covered his nose and mouth with his sleeve. "We're all set."

In spite of her better judgment, Atlanta released her nose in order to smell the finished concoction. She was quick to pinch it shut again in the face of a stink that maybe, if the smell of vomit and cough syrup could be ignored, smelled like fruit. "Ugh, gross." She waved her free hand frantically. It even left a bad taste in her mouth. "I think I'm beginning to understand. Chronus certainly won't like that."

Jay chuckled. "I'm afraid we won't have a delivery system like the one Archie rigged, but this should do the trick." He held up a classic Erlenmeyer flask complete with stopper.

"Leave the rest to me," Atlanta said with a wicked grin, an idea forming in her mind. It was time for her to take charge.

--

"I think we've lost them," Herry said, peering into a darkened classroom. "And it's gotten awfully quiet since we left the art room. You'd think Chronus would have realized we escaped by now or something."

Theresa, keeping a subtle eye on Pam, shrugged. "He's probably gloating to some of the Neils about how he's managed to split us up and stop the prophecy. The usual nonsense." She leaned against a bank of lockers, trying to collect her thoughts. In the absence of Jay, it fell to her to take charge. Her focus fell on the artist. "So, Pam, what exactly is your story? If you tell us, it might give me some idea on our next move."

Pam glanced at her guardedly and then turned away, continuing to walk down the hall and forcing the two heroes to trail after her. She drew up short suddenly near the gym, turning on them so quickly that Herry jumped in surprise. Her eyes were swimming with unshed tears.

"He took my brother," she said quietly. "He took my brother and told me I had to work for him if I wanted any chance at getting him back." Her hands flew out to gesture wildly at the halls, now only damp from the sprinklers. "So I did this. And as terrible as it is, I don't regret it."

The two heroes could only stare. Herry managed a weak, "Oh," before falling silent, not quite knowing what else he could say. Theresa felt a sympathetic urge to hug the other girl and to promise that everything would work out in the end. But she hung back, watching Pam pull herself together and turn away.

She pointed at the gymnasium door. "Chronus told me to meet him here once everyone was captured." Her voice wavered only slightly.

"Maybe we can spring a trap," Theresa said brightly, trying to turn the situation around to a positive light. "And then we can fix things." She glanced at Herry.

"I'm up for it," he said. "So long as I actually get a chance to hit something."

The fighter was about to start voicing her ideas when a muffled bang cut her off. The two heroes exchanged a glance and then took off, racing toward the sound of the small explosion. A shout of pain spurred them on. They skidded around a corner and nearly collided with Atlanta, who clutched at a ragged gash in her shoulder. In front of her stood Chronus, scythe raised, and partially drenched. As he turned to face the new arrivals, they were hit with a wave of something indescribable. Theresa gagged reflexively and Herry fought to keep his lunch down. Pam, wisely, plugged her nose and retreated.

"You'll pay for this," the Titan said darkly. He fingered the small ribbon of blood on his blade with a grim satisfaction, an image that was ruined by a bout of coughing. Chronus quickly pinched his nose and stepped back from the pieces of broken glass scattered at his feet.

"What's going on?" Theresa asked, holding her own nose. "Atlanta?"

The hunter let out a held breath in a woosh and fought to keep her face straight as she inhaled. "We were hoping to distract Chronus with the smell and regroup but he caught me off guard." She glanced at her shoulder briefly and then met Theresa's eyes. "It was Jay's idea," she said.

As if on cue, the leader appeared in the hallway, a crude bandana made from his sleeve worked around his mouth and nose to block out the stench. He caught sight of Theresa and Herry and paused as if to raise his hand and wave. But something else caught his eye, something behind him. Jay quickly started running toward them, shouting something muffled by his sleeve. Theresa barely registered the grey lumpish shapes that lurched into view behind him before one managed to snake out a hand and catch the descendent of Jason by the back of his shirt. He was jerked backward.

"Jay!" Theresa shouted, running toward him. Chronus stepped in her path and a swing from his weapon brought her up short. She hovered just out of reach, watching helplessly as what was left of the Neils swarmed Jay. She suppressed a shiver at their many hands and sagging faces.

Herry was beside her. "What do we do?" he asked.

Chronus smiled. "You watch as your beloved leader suffocates, naturally."


	17. As They Say

First? I think I have 100 reviews for this story. I am amazed and overwhelmed and incredibly HAPPY. Thank you everyone! I'm glad my story has inspired such a response. You make me giggle.

In response to Lost Experiment's question: Yes, I took Chemistry all through high school. We made esters in one lab and had lots of fun smelling each other's test tubes. However, we weren't allowed to make anything with butyric acid because of the smell, but the teacher relented in the face of a LOT of whining. She agreed to make pineapple and bring it around for us to sniff. Under a minute after she cracked the bottle, the entire room smelt like vomit. We were quick to make a slew of cherry and wintergreen in an attempt to drown out the smell. It didn't work. Incidentally, methanol smells like cough syrup.

Jay took some liberties in his experiment and cut a few corners. I'm also exercising a bit of creative license. However, the carboxylic acid (such as butyric) does smell worse when heated. Esters, coincidentally, smell strongest when cooled. Chemistry's funny that way.

Disclaimer: I don't own Class of the Titans. If I did, the heroes' school lives would be explored a little more in depth than simply when it coincides with a mythological event. I want to know if one of them is particularly good at a subject, say Social Studies (or History if you prefer). I imagine Archie might do well in English.

---

**As They Say**

---

"This is the last one," Odie said, staring at the door knob. They had tried two others only to find them locked and the pounding outside the Physics room had suddenly stopped. Neither hero wanted to discover why. The thinker reached out and grasped the knob and twisted. It turned smoothly in his hand and the door swung silently open. They breathed a twin sigh of relief.

Archie took a brief glance around the room – desks, blackboard, cupboards – and immediately noticed that things were out of place. "Someone was in here," he said, gesturing to a cluster of equipment on a lab bench. The warrior eased himself into the nearest chair as Odie went to have a closer look. The fire extinguisher rested on the ground next to his feet. "Do you think everyone's been copied?" he asked suddenly. "I mean, so far the only ones who haven't are Jay and Atlanta, but who's to say their clones aren't out there running around somewhere?"

Odie shook his head. "To be honest, I don't know." He lifted a bottle and read the label. "But we'll have to put our trust in someone when we meet up again, and I'd like to think that person is real."

"How do we know, though? Neil had us fooled, _you_ had us fooled, Odie. Your copy, I mean." Archie sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I suppose we could always spray everyone with water and hope that does something."

The thinker nodded absently, checking other areas around the room. He finally poked his head out into the hall to look for some clue as to who they had just missed. Something else caught his eye. "Hey, I think your mobility problem might be solved." Odie waved Archie over. "Someone left a computer chair out here."

Archie frowned but stood and hobbled over all the same, dragging their only defense. He paused at the door, eyes drifting to the chair even as something else caught his attention. "Do you smell something?" he asked.

"Unfortunately, yes," Odie said, pushing the chair over.

"Which way do you think it's coming from?" The warrior dropped into the seat with little grace. He hefted the extinguisher onto his lap and held it loosely. "Maybe we'll find the others at the source."

--

Any other time, Neil might have questioned his actions, possibly considered something a little more demure. As he ran down the dark street, however, wearing nothing but his underwear, the hero's head was full of other concerns than the stares he was gathering from other pedestrians and the motorists passing him by. The slapping sound of his bare feet on concrete formed an odd rhythm for his thoughts to follow.

_Wrong, wrong, wrong_. His thoughts took on the voices of everyone who had ever told him he spent too much time in front of a mirror. _It didn't work in the past, so why would it work now?_

The dark shadow of the school loomed a head of him. Neil barely registered it. He kept running, pushing through the doors with only the slightest wonder as to why they were unlocked. The model slowed to a jog as he entered the maze of hallways. Something in the air reminded him of the smell of sex and he stopped completely. His rational mind caught up with him then, and he wondered what exactly he was supposed to do to help fix the mess he was responsible for.

What may have been a twist of luck solved part of his problem for him. As he crept near silently down a hall picked at random, a sound other than his own shuffling feet caught his attention. Throwing his usual sense of caution to the wind, Neil decided that whoever it was would probably lead him to his friends. He stopped and cupped his hands over his mouth.

"Hey!" he shouted. "I'm over here!" His previous experience acting as distraction in other scenarios served to add a slightly alluring tremor to his voice. Any minion of Chronus, Neil was certain, would be unable to resist the sound of a dapper in distress.

The response was unexpected. Archie appeared at the end of hall, a slightly bemused expression on his face. "Neil?" he asked. "Is it really you?"

For a moment, Neil was back to himself. "Of course it's me," he said. And then he caught himself, the bizarre reality of what Archie and the others must have faced catching up with him. Neil refused to think about his own situation.

Archie frowned, digging his hands deep into his pockets. "Prove it," he said.

Neil drew himself up as proudly as he could. "Fine," he agreed. His shoulders drooped slightly as he realized he had no way to do so. His clothes were still back _there_ along with anything that might validate his claim. "How?" he asked finally.

"Tell me something only you would know. Something from a previous battle or whatever." The warrior shrugged, looking uncomfortable.

"Something only I would know?" The descendent of Narcissus considered. _You know first hand not to fall in love with yourself_, his mind whispered. Feeling suddenly exposed, Neil wrapped his arms around himself. "Well," he said with false cheer, "I know that Atlanta probably made out with D.J. Panic before you got involved." He hoped his grin looked confident, and that the warrior wouldn't decide to kill him on the spot.

Archie's expression didn't change. "I guess you are the real deal." In one fluid motion, he pulled out his hands. The Hephaestus whip cracked. "Too bad."

--

Jay felt his bandana being ripped away and he took a shuddering breath. The expected smell reached him, but it was far outweighed by the clinging smell of wet clay; clay that pressed down on him heavily. Even as he filled his lungs, choking down a swell of nausea, the weight and tearing fingers of the Neils pulling at him emptied them again. Jay felt as if he was drowning, a surreal sensation for the pro sailor.

His mind racing, Jay tried to drag himself free. His fingers slid along the floor finding no purchase. Theresa's voice, shouting at him, seemed distant. For once, Jay had no idea what to do. He struggled just to keep his mouth clear, to keep breathing as little as he was capable. Misshapen mouths chuckled in his ear.

"How does it feel, Jay?" Chronus asked. "Hopeless? Frightening?" The Titan coughed slightly as he caught another whiff of himself. Scowling, he waved a hand and changed his suit. The smell still lingered, but it was significantly less. The heroes breathed a little easier.

The sharp sound of static caught the deity's attention. He turned to find Theresa fumbling at her belt, snatching up the PMR distractedly. "Probably Archie or Odie," she muttered to herself, fingers shaking just enough to make answering difficult. Her eyes kept flicking to Jay and the things on him. Finally, a face appeared on the screen. She stared at it. "_Neil?_"

"Hey." His voice was distorted and quiet, but everyone seemed to hold their breath to listen. Even Chronus was silent, his face twisted in a smug grin that seemed to say the model's appearance was too little, too late. Only the Neils and Jay made any noise, a squelching, gasping sort of sound. "How's it going?"

"Where are you? What happened?" Theresa's mind was caught in a flurry of questions and emotions. She wanted to make sure he was the real one, but the fact that he had a PMR seemed to suggest he _had_ to be.

Neil ran a hand through his hair, which, the fighter suddenly noticed, was out of place. "I'm near the cafeteria, I think. I just got out." His face suddenly scrunched up into a frown. "I _told_ you there were robot clones after me!" he said, a touch on the shrill side.

"We're in front of the gym," she said quickly, ignoring his tendency for theatrics. "Jay's in trouble. Keep an eye out for Odie and Archie, too." Worry for the pair was starting to build in the back of her mind, but as Theresa glanced up to see Jay reaching – seemingly toward her – it was pushed away.

"Oh, hey, before I forget. Pamela Ian, a girl in my art class, she's behind all of this. Pig-something or other." He paused, considering. "Yeah. Does that help?"

Theresa nodded faintly. "We know. She's here with us. Chronus has her brother." The Titan smiled at her words, but it was strangely smug. She wondered what was going through his mind…

"What?" Neil's voice broke into her thoughts. He sounded panicked. "That's not possible. Her brother's at a _friend's house_, Theresa. I was at her house." The model suppressed a shiver at what must have been an unpleasant memory. "She's lying to you."

Herry, surprised, turned to the artist. "Is this true?" he asked.

"And it all comes out." Chronus spread his hands placidly, his scythe between the heroes and their leader. "As they say, all good things must come to an end."

Pam stared wide-eyed at the Titan. "What are you saying?" She seemed to pale as she backed toward the gym entrance, one hand drifting up to point at him, accusing. "I made a deal with you. You swore you'd… You _swore_. And Galen…"

Chronus chuckled. "Yes, well, we all lie sometimes." He shrugged almost sympathetically. "I only needed your talent and I got it the easiest way I possibly could. And as for your great masterpiece? Well, he's mine now." His smile was cruel.

The artist said nothing, stunned. Then, as if a switch had been pulled, he turned to Herry. "You're the strong one," she said. "Throw me over. I'll save your friend." Tears slid down her cheeks but her voice was hard. "I'm done being used."

Herry could only nod. He hunched with his hands cupped in front of him, a familiar stance he'd become accustomed to when fighting along side Theresa. The fighter watched as Pam ran toward him and then turned herself, focusing solely, intently, on Chronus. As she heard Herry's grunt, Theresa rushed the Titan, aiming a hard kick directly at his smug face. As he was forced to defend himself, Pam sailed over him. She landed hard on the other side.

"Take a deep breath," the artist instructed, reaching out and grabbing onto the slick arm of one of the Neils. "Hold it as long as you can." Pam herself inhaled deeply and her eyes slid shut in concentration. When she let go, the Neils no longer moved. They were just soggy, inanimate statues.

Jay, buried beneath them, struggled to free himself. Pam quickly started digging, scooping clay away from his face and shoulders. Chronus watched impassively, waiting until the leader was sprawled on the floor, panting. Then he spoke.

"As always, you've managed to free yourself." The Titan glanced back at Theresa. "And by the sound of things, Neil has escaped my trap and is on his way here. Soon, I'm sure you'll fit the prophecy and I'll have to leave." Chronus vanished his scythe, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Or that's how it seems. Are you sure your team are who they appear to be?" he asked. "Would you stake your life on it?"

Jay stared hard at Chronus. "Yes," he said. "I'm sure."

There was a shout from behind him. "Jay!" The leader turned and locked eyes with Theresa.

Chronus laughed. "And how about now?"

--

Odie wheeled Archie in what he hoped was the direction the smell was coming from. He guessed that one of the others had taken part of the warrior's strategy to heart and tried to reenact it, hopefully with some success. They traveled in silence, the thinker wracking his mind for ideas that would get them out of the school and the warrior wondering if the fire extinguisher had enough foam to take out the rest of the Neils.

When one ran by, shrieking, pursued by Archie… They barely shared a glance before Odie strained against the swivel chair, hoping it would be easy to maneuver around corners, once he got the momentum up.

"Neil!" Archie shouted, one hand locked on the armrest of the chair, the other white around the nozzle of the extinguisher. "Stop running!"

The blonde shot a look over his shoulder. "No," he shouted back. "I don't want to be whipped by two of you."

"Look at his back," Odie panted. He already felt winded.

Sure enough, Archie could make out an angry red line on Neil's bare back. He frowned and relinquished his hold on the chair. "Get me closer, Odie. As close as you can."

The descendent of Odysseus groaned but pushed himself, pulling on reserves he didn't even know he had. They gained on the running pair ahead of them, if only a little. Archie aimed the extinguisher, silently hoping Neil's luck would help him out – a fact he would never admit later. The warrior jammed his finger on the trigger and, with a hiss, a shower of foam flew out in front of him. In what seemed a scene out of a dream, he watched himself run a few more paces before sagging and finally collapsing in on himself with a wet gurgle. Odie quickly pulled up and Neil came to a halt.

"Are you really you?" the blonde asked warily.

"We could ask you the same thing." Odie eye Neil warily, still remembering the art room. He had reasoned that that Neil was probably just a copy, but there was still a nagging doubt. The fact that this Neil was only wearing boxers meant little, too. After witnessing the orgy… Odie was fairly certain that boxers weren't the strangest thing he could be seeing.

The descendent of Narcissus simply turned away from them, his shoulders dropped in defeat. "Never mind," he said. "I'll find the others myself." He started down the hall.

Archie was about to suggest going after him when his PMR suddenly came to life. "Archie? Odie? It's Neil." The warrior quickly pulled the device out of his pocket and stared hard at the screen. The blonde looked back at him.

"Who do we trust?" Archie asked his fellow hero.

Odie looked between his own PMR and the Neil quickly disappearing down the hall. "The real one," he answered.


	18. Breaking and Beginning

I'm sorry for not updating sooner. For the past few days, I've been unable to upload .doc files. I'm being sneaky and trying a notepad file. Hopefully it works.

Most of my comments will be at the end of the chapter, for a change. But in case anyone was wondering, chapter six is where the info about Pam's brother being at a friend's appears. A long way away, I know.

Disclaimer: I don't own Class of the Titans. If I did, there would definitely be some missions where the ending may be good, in the sense that the world has been saved, but not sweet. I mean, they're only human. Not everything can end well.

---

**Breaking and Beginning**

---

"Neil!" Odie's voice was like gunfire in the silent hall.

The blonde flinched quite visibly and whirled on a heel. "What?" he asked. "Do you want to spray me with that," he gestured to the fire extinguisher, "too?" His voice was hard, angry. As Odie and Archie drew closer, the thinker noticed the shadows under his eyes.

"No. We're all on the same side." At Archie's slightly skeptical look, he added a quiet, "Aren't we?"

"Well I thought so," Neil huffed. He was halfway toward a pout, an expression that both Odie and Archie hardly expected at a time like this. "I've been through enough tonight and it would be nice if I didn't have to worry about you two, too."

Archie swelled in his seat. "_You've_ had a rough night? You haven't even been here! What could possibly be worse than fighting an army of statues that resemble your friends," he paused, remembering who had been chasing the blonde, "and yourself?" To the warrior, nothing short of Chronus himself could top what he, Odie and the others had endured.

Neil shot Archie a look that the warrior couldn't immediately place. "Do you know where the others are? I don't have my PMR, as you can see."

"The other you might know," Odie said, indicating his own communicator which he had muted to allow for their conversation. "Question is, should we play along?" The thinker had a few doubts, thinking how all the occasions with switching sides had hit an unforeseen snag; his own enduring friends foiling his Trojan Horse scheme, the statue Neils being exposed before they could fully tear the team apart. He wondered if the third time really would be the charm.

Archie didn't wait for a debate to take place. He snatched the PMR out of Odie's hand, forgetting that he had his own, and pressed a button. "Neil? Archie. Where have you been?" He sounded quite convincing with a slight touch of worry under all his manly annoyance. "And more importantly, do you know where the others are?"

"Yeah, chill out. I haven't exactly been off on vacation." The small image turned in profile as if looking at something off screen. "Oh boy. This isn't good. We're by the gym and there are two people who look like Theresa." He frowned. "Jay's in trouble."

"We're on our way." The warrior tossed the device back to Odie, who swiftly pocketed it. "Well, you heard him. To the gym." He gestured dramatically down the hall, his usual confidence back in order.

Odie grabbed Neil and pulled him behind the chair. "It's your turn to push," he said with an innocent smile.

--

"So, Jay, who will it be?" Chronus watched in delight as both fighters protested their innocence and validity. "Will you trust your prophecy in the hands of a possible imposter, or will you simply outcast both of them and be only five?"

Neil coughed. "Ahem, six," he called. The blonde had arrived soon after making contact with Theresa and had since assured the team that their missing members would be joining them shortly.

"Seven," one Theresa growled, the one who had appeared behind Jay. "I'm not going to let some statue stand in the way of vanquishing you, Chronus." She took a few steps closer to Jay and Pam, who were still sprawled on the floor. The Titan eyed her but didn't move, intent on keeping at least one of the two at bay with his scythe. "You believe me, don't you, Jay?" she pleaded with the leader.

The second fighter laughed bitterly. "As if. Jay knows who his friends are, and you aren't one of them." She looked ready to take Chronus on in spite of his weapon or immortality.

Jay, for his part, was beginning to feel the first worries of confusion and doubt nag at him. Since they had been split up, the only one he really could trust was Atlanta. But this bothered him. He had gone through so much with his friends, it felt strange to suspect any of them as being anything other than sworn against the end of the world. He shook his head, hoping to clear his thoughts. Who was he going to trust?

"I can see you're having some trouble, dear boy." Chronus chuckled. "And something tells me you're about to have a little more." And right on cue, the whir of wheels heralded the appearance of the missing heroes – and another Neil.

"Why can't things ever be easy?" Herry lamented. "We must have fought close to fifty Neils, but there's always at least one more." He made a show of rolling up his sleeves and getting ready to shoulder check the newcomer.

Odie pulled up short, hands shooting into the air to wave a warning. "Wait! This is the real Neil. He was being chased by a fake Archie when we ran into him."

"Yeah," Archie said, pulling himself to his feet with a grunt. "I wouldn't chase anyone except the enemy. And the enemy to a copy would have to be the real thing." He drew out his whip, extending it with a snap. "So, clone Neil? I'd get running if I were you."

The other heroes froze. "Do we trust them?" Atlanta asked, looking to Jay. "They could be copies, too."

"I did make statues of them," Pam admitted. "I don't know what happened to them after they were animated, either."

For a moment, Jay was as uncertain as his team. Chronus certainly had done his best to sow the seeds of distrust and suspicion. He wasn't sure which Theresa was the real one – if one of them was even the real one – let alone if an entire group was who they claimed to be. He rose to his feet grimly, weighing his options. He was the leader, and he was the one who ultimately had to figure things out.

"Atlanta," he called. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?" She allowed herself a small, wry grin. "Even if you had me wondering with that Chemistry business."

"But what if I was a statue?"

She fell silent. Everyone was silent, staring at him. Then, the Theresa behind him spoke. "But you aren't a statue. You can't be." She drew back slightly, confused and worried.

The descendent of Jason smiled, glancing over his shoulder at her. "You aren't the real Theresa," he said. "She has every right to doubt me, since I'm just as likely to be a fake. But since you took me to be real, someone had to tell you that I was." His expression hardened. "I'm guessing that person is Chronus."

"So does that mean you think I'm a statue?" the fully clothed Neil asked. "Even though I have the PMR and I brought the rest of the team here? I could've sent them in the wrong direction, or tried to betray you in another way."

It was Odie's turn to apply logic. "But that would have tipped your hand and we would have known you were a fake. My guess is you wanted us to turn on the real Neil." He frowned. "But why?"

"Yes, Galen," Pam echoed. "Why?" She stood just behind Jay, emotion playing across her face. "You were just supposed to keep him occupied for a little while as Chronus attacked the other six, not hurt him."

Chronus chuckled. "But your sentiment goes against my designs, so I gave him new orders. Like I said, he's mine now."

Galen spread his hands slowly. "It seems I've been discovered. There isn't really anything else I can do, is there?" He met Archie's gaze. "Are you going to melt me, then, like you did all the others?"

"Yeah, sure." Archie grabbed the fire extinguisher from where it rested on the chair and pointed it. "Good riddance," he said and squeezed the trigger. It make a low hissing sound and dribbled some wet foam, then fell silent.

"Empty?" Galen asked, mildly amused. "How lucky for me." And then he turned and ran. Neil took off after him without a word. The other heroes, momentarily stunned, could only watch the spectacle of the model chasing himself into the dark gymnasium.

Odie quickly regathered his thoughts. "We need to help him," he shouted, pushing the chair forward suddenly, scooping Archie up. "If Galen, or whoever, escapes, he might try all of this again." The thinker struggled to build up speed, grabbing at Herry and Theresa as he passed them. Atlanta quickly fell into step beside him, helping to push.

"Go!" Jay shouted. "We're right behind you." He whirled and reached for the statue Theresa, pulling her toward him. She hardly resisted, her function exposed and nullified. The leader pushed her into Chronus and used the distraction to skirt the drawn weapon, pulling the sculptor after him.

Chronus spared no time simply vaporizing the offending copy. He watched the retreating heroes for a moment, vanishing his weapon. "That's right," he murmured. "Chase your friend." He strolled leisurely after them.

--

As soon as they were in the gym, Neil twisted the lock on the double doors until he was sure they wouldn't be interrupted. He turned to the scan the dim interior and jumped when he found Galen a lot closer than he had expected. The tall windows behind his double showed signs of light and pink. It was almost dawn.

"So," Neil started, uncomfortable and very aware of how he was dressed. "Did you lie to me the whole time? Was everything just part of Chronus' plan?" He wanted to ask if the night they had spent together was just as fake as Galen was, but the words got stuck in his throat. "Did you mean it when you said you loved me?" he managed to choke out.

Galen observed him silently for a moment, completely impassive. He drew closer, bringing his face within inches of Neil's. "Do you think I love you?" he asked. "Or do you believe that I'm just a pawn in all of this, a puppet of a guy in a bad suit?"

Struck by a bout of initiative, Neil closed the gap and kissed Galen, only pulling away with a small squeak when the muffled voices of his friends could be heard behind the door. "I think you do," he said quietly. "You did too much to just consider it a job."

"Well then," the double smiled. "I suppose, in the face of so much trust, I have no choice but to reform. Love, as they say, conquers all. Right?" Galen grabbed Neil's wrist and pulled him away from the door, leading the blonde to the opposite wall. "Unfortunately," he said, "I'm not really you. I don't have your sense of morals, or romance."

"So learn them," Neil protested. "Maybe the good gods can make you real. I'm sure Aphrodite would help, if you apologized for kidnapping me." The goddess had to see reason, she had to. She couldn't be a proper mentor if she wouldn't do what was in the best interest of her student.

Galen simply smiled, drawing his hand up to cup Neil's cheek. He ducked his head in close and kissed the blonde as the other heroes began pounding on the door. Neil didn't hear it. He sighed softly as the kiss deepened, believing for a moment that everything would work out like a dream. But then he realized his dreams had been nothing but nightmares lately. And reality intruded.

Where usually they would break apart, the model flushed and panting, the double sly and amused, the kiss continued. Neil's chest began to burn slightly and he tried to breathe through his nose to relieve his hungry lungs. He choked slightly, his hands reflexively pushing against Galen's shoulders. Still, Galen's lips pressed on, cold and unrelenting. The burning increased, Neil's lungs beginning to starve. The kiss shifted slightly and his nose was crushed, sealing it. He couldn't breathe.

--

On the other side of the door, the heroes were being balked by a simple locked door. Archie cursed under his breath, frustrated that something so simple was standing in their way. Jay and Odie studied it, trying to fathom if it could be opened any other way. Atlanta and Theresa hovered in the back, watching Chronus slowly walk toward them.

"You'd better hurry," the Titan called, stopping a safe distance away. "Both of them are emotionally unstable. There's no telling what might happen."

Pam glared at him. "What did you do to Galen?" she demanded. "He would never do something like this on his own."

Chronus shrugged offhandedly. "Are you so sure? It seems to me that you've done quite a bit yourself."

Jay had heard enough. He backed the group a few steps back and clapped Herry on the shoulder. "Open the door, Herry," he said. "We don't have time to waste."

--

Distantly, Neil registered a shout and a bang, the sounds of Herry putting his superhuman strength to work on doors not meant for that kind of punishment. Heroes spilled in, pulling up short as the registered what was happening. Theresa stifled a gasp and Atlanta politely averted her eyes. Jay quickly cast about for something he could use as a weapon. It was obvious to him that Neil was not enjoying the situation.

Odie, however, was preoccupied with something else. He had seen Neil making out with Neil, so it was nothing terribly surprising. Quickly, he checked his watch. "This can't be right," he said, mostly to himself. "Outside it's almost dawn, but we haven't been here that long. It's only nine o'clock."

"Chronus can control time," Jay said, dismissing it. He was more concerned with his friend who was about to be smothered. "Anyone have any ideas?"

"Just one." Archie's whip sang through the air, cutting deep into Galen's shoulder. A chunk was ripped out, the grey clay being exposed beneath the flesh color of the surface. Galen's head jerked back and Neil staggered back, coughing and gasping almost frantically. His mouth was bruised where he had been kissed.

Pam seemed to be in shock. "But-But _I'm_ the one who made you," she yelled. "I'm the one who loves you. You're supposed to be my true love, like Galatea and Pygmalion."

"You're also the one who made me into a copy," Galen said bitterly. "First I was to be your little brother, because you were lonely. But then your parents managed to conceive, so you turned me into your best friend." He bent down to retrieve his missing piece. "When you hit puberty, though, that wasn't enough. You wanted me to love you." His face twisted in a sneer and he grabbed Neil's wrist, the blonde too weak to resist. "You made me look like him, because you always sort of liked him. And then you made me act like him, when you and Chronus made your deal. You erased everything I was, so how could I love you?"

"You were going to be real," the sculptor said. "Chronus was going to make you real." She seemed to be trying to convince herself as well as Galen that her actions had been justified. "I thought that was what you wanted."

The statue rolled his eyes. "It was what you wanted. Chronus wasn't going to make me real until I had been stripped of my identity and sent to love someone else. I did love you, Pam, as much as I was able to. But when you sent me away, made me a pawn, I stopped." Galen wrapped a hand around Neil's throat and started to squeeze. "So it's only fair that I get rid of the root of the problem."

Jay was quick to grab the whip from Archie's hand and send it sailing toward the pair, aiming to sever Galen's hand and draw them apart. By some ill twist of fate, the cord wrapped itself diagonally around the statue's torso. The leader froze, keeping his hand completely still so as not to pull the line tight. A portal opened beside the blondes, and Chronus emerged.

"I see I'm just in time for the climax," he said, grinning. He rested a hand gently on Galen's shoulder. "Pam? I've decided to be generous. You've done more than I could have asked for." Chronus pulled a flashing bit of gold from his pocket, holding it up to catch the slowly growing light. "So I think I'll grant you your reward after all."

There was no flash or sign of magic, but the shirt over Galen's shoulder where the chunk had been torn blossomed in red. He inhaled sharply in pain, glancing down at the spot of blood. "I don't want to be real," he said sharply.

"But then how would the lady ever learn?" the Titan asked. "And I certainly can't let my careful plans end here." With a laugh, Chronus shoved Galen sharply, causing him to stumble. The Hephaestus cord tightened, slicing through fabric and flesh in a smooth motion, even as Jay dropped the other end.

Neil stared in horror, watching himself slide to the floor in two pieces. The dawn light seemed suddenly incredibly bright and his head swam. Someone screamed. He lost sight of his friends in the glow, and even the god, standing next to him. As his own legs buckled beneath him, and as Chronus' gloating laugh crowded in his ears, Neil could only think, _I don't want to remember this_ and wish that Galen's beauty had been more than skin deep.

A light, feminine voice greeted his thoughts. _"You don't want to remember?"_ it asked. _"Why, that's my specialty."_ She laughed, a sound like the tinkling of bells. _"I'll gladly take away your pain, good-looking."_ The light surged, pushing away any response Neil might have tried to make. His fatigue overwhelmed him and he slipped into unconsciousness, listening to a laugh like bells.

_Fin._

---

That's right, the end. But as you can see, this is all according to Chronus' master plan.

Before you all scream in outrage, I have already begun planning the sequel which will show you who the owner of the voice is, among many other things. And it should focus more on the other characters, so if you're hoping to see pairings like JayxTheresa, or ArchiexAtlanta, you just might. With further luck, it'll be a bit better written. I'm looking forward to it.

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story. You've been inspirational and kept me on a semi-regular update schedule, for which I'm thankful. I hope to see many of you at the continuation. Thanks for sticking with me. I hope you've enjoyed the story.

(Incidental Note: The ester having just a hint of pineapple actually makes it worse than if it just smelled bad. Horrible chemical smells you can ignore, given time. Smells that you're familiar with, you tend to try and inhale, leading to a big noseful of ick.) 


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